Nepal Army’s Lieutenant Colonel Chokbahadur Dhakal, serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, has been injured.
At midnight near Beirut, protesters attacked and vandalized the vehicle carrying Dhakal, who is the Deputy Force Commander of the UNIFIL mission. The Nepal Army’s Directorate of Public Relations and Information confirmed that he was injured during the incident.
“The convoy carrying Dhakal was stopped and attacked by an angry mob, leading to his injury,” the statement said. “He was immediately rescued and taken to the UN Level Three Hospital in Beirut.”
According to Army spokesperson Gaurav Kumar KC, Dhakal is now out of danger, as per hospital reports.
The UNIFIL mission headquarters released a statement expressing shock over the attack on peacekeepers working for security and stability in southern Lebanon. The United Nations condemned the attack and urged the Lebanese government to investigate and take necessary action.
The Lebanese Prime Minister and the Lebanese Armed Forces also condemned the attack and promised to investigate and bring those responsible to justice.
The protests in Lebanon erupted after officials canceled permission for an Iranian passenger flight to land in Beirut, suspecting it was transporting funds for Hezbollah. As a result, protesters blocked roads, including routes to the airport and other parts of the capital.
