UN secretary-general strongly condemns killing of UN peacekeeper in Lebanon

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the killing of an Indonesian peacekeeper of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) amid hostilities late Sunday between Israel and Hezbollah.

"This is just one of a number of recent incidents that have jeopardized the safety & security of peacekeepers," he said on the US social media company X's platform.

Guterres called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property.

Earlier, UNIFIL said in a statement that a peacekeeper was "tragically" killed Sunday when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr. Another was critically injured.

UNIFIL said it does not know the origin of the projectile.

"We have launched an investigation to determine all of the circumstances," it said.

Israel has pounded Lebanon with airstrikes and launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon since a cross-border attack by the Hezbollah group on March 2.

The region has been on alert since the US and Israel launched an air offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel along with Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.