Four Italian soldiers from the Unifil mission were injured after the base in southern Lebanon where they were stationed was hit.
According to what we learn, the four are all well: they are in hospital and have spoken with their family members, reassuring them about their health conditions. Investigations are underway to establish the dynamics of what happened.
According to an initial reconstruction, the four Italian soldiers were injured following the explosion of two 122 mm rockets, probably launched by Hezbollah, which hit the Unp 2-3 base in Shama. The two rockets hit a bunker on the base, which did not give way, and a room near the international military police, causing damage to the surrounding infrastructure. Some glass shattered due to the explosion, hitting the four soldiers.
The wounded are four Sardinian peacekeepers from the Sassari Brigade, according to what ANSA has learned. The Sassari Brigade assumed command of the Italian contingent and the Western sector of Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) last August and will remain in the operational area until February. The 500 ‘dimonios’ of Sassari belong to the Brigade Command, the 151st Infantry Regiment, the Logistics Regiment, the 5th Macomer Engineer Regiment and the 45th “Reggio” Command and Tactical Support Department.
Tajani: “It seems like there are two Hezbollah missiles against Unifil”
Those that hit the Unifil base “should be two missiles, from what we can see, launched by Hezbollah. Once again what is happening is unacceptable and just as we told Israel to pay maximum attention”, so “we say with so much firmness to Hezbollah that the Italian military cannot be touched. This is what Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared in Turin. “It seems that no one has serious injuries, they are just grazes and a lieutenant seems to have light injuries. None of them are in danger” but “what happened is intolerable”.
“It must be very clear that this organization” of Hezbollah “cannot think of playing with weapons, if they don’t know how to use them they decide to do something else. I say this with great determination and firmness, the Italian military cannot touch each other”, reiterated the deputy prime minister.
“The situation is not easy” but the Italian soldiers “are in the bunkers and there are absolutely no serious injuries, but this does not mean that maximum attention should not be paid, even if there is fighting in progress, towards forces that they have guaranteed the separation between Israel and Hezbollah, they are forces of peace and not of war and for this very reason no one must touch them. We will continue to work so that they can increasingly play a role as bearers of peace. We are proud and close to everyone our soldiers who are engaged in Lebanon, are the best part of our country and I am close to all those who wear the uniform and are employed on missions abroad.”
Meloni: “Deep indignation at the attacks”
“I learn with deep indignation and concern the news of the new attacks suffered by the Italian headquarters of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, which also caused the wounding of some of our soldiers engaged in a peacekeeping mission. I would like to express my solidarity and closeness and that of Government to the wounded, to their families and sincere gratitude for the activity carried out daily by the entire Italian contingent in Lebanon. I reiterate once again that such attacks are unacceptable and I renew my appeal for the parties on the ground to guarantee, at all times, the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and collaborate to quickly identify those responsible”. This was stated by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni.
Crosetto, avoid using Unifil bases as shields
“It is intolerable that once again a Unifil base has been hit. I will try to speak to the new Israeli Defense Minister, which has been impossible since his inauguration until today, to ask him to avoid using Unifil bases as a shield. Even more intolerable is the presence of terrorists in Southern Lebanon who jeopardize the safety of the peacekeepers and the civilian population.” Thus the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto.