The United Nations Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday that a rocket "probably" fired by Hezbollah or its allies hit its headquarters, slightly injuring members of the force in the south of the country.
"This afternoon, a rocket hit the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, setting a vehicle (repair) workshop on fire," the UN peacekeepers said in a statement.
According to the same source, the rocket "was fired from a position north of the headquarters, probably by Hezbollah or an affiliated group" and an investigation has been opened.
The Austrian Defence Ministry had reported that eight Austrian UNIFIL soldiers were slightly injured today in a rocket attack in the town of Naqoura, near the border with Israel.
The injuries were "minor and superficial" and did not require "emergency medical treatment", according to a statement from the ministry, which said it did not know the origin of the attack but "strongly condemned it".
Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms" and called for an immediate investigation, as well as urging all parties to guarantee the safety of the peacekeepers.
"It cannot and will not be tolerated that UN peacekeepers are put in danger, intentionally or otherwise", she stressed.
UNIFIL stressed this Tuesday that its troops "remain in their positions" in southern Lebanon and continue their activity, "adapted" to a situation marked by constant crossfire between the Israel Defence Forces and the Shiite group Hezbollah.
The mission has repeatedly accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting positions and installations of the so-called "blue helmets".
Israel, for its part, claims that Hezbollah is using these soldiers as human shields and has urged them to withdraw.
Israeli forces have carried out heavy bombardments in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as in Beirut, causing more than 2,200 deaths.
Since 11 October, the UN mission claims to have been the target of several attacks attributed to Israel.
UNIFIL was created in March 1978 by the Security Council and is deployed in southern Lebanon to serve as a buffer against Israel.
In mid-October, at least five peacekeepers were injured, attacks strongly condemned by the UN and the EU.
