Liban : incidents dans le secteur français

Une patrouille de 9 militaires français du DETLOG composée d’un VAB et d’un PVP a été immobilisée par une centaine de personnes dans le village de TULIN. Malgré l’action du chef d’élément qui est descendu pour parlementer avec les manifestants, la montée de la tension a nécessité l’intervention rapide des Forces Armées Libanaises (FAL). Le déploiement des FAL a permis un retour au calme et le désengagement des éléments français.

Les éléments de réserve français, mis en alerte, n’ont pas eu à intervenir.

Depuis la semaine dernière, au cours de laquelle a eu lieu un important exercice de déploiement de la FINUL (Maximum Strength), une vingtaine d’incidents avec jets de pierres, rassemblements de foule et blocages de routes ont été recensés dans l’ensemble de la zone. Cinq d’entre eux ont concerné des éléments français, sans conséquences graves.

Communiqué de presse de la FINUL :

This morning at around 1000 hours a UNIFIL vehicle patrol composed of one Armoured Personnel Carrier and one light armoured vehicle was blocked on its way by a number of civilians about 500 metres north of the village of Qabrikha in southern Lebanon.

The civilians pelted stones at the UNIFIL patrol and had a short verbal exchange with an Arabic-speaking member of the patrol. As the stone throwing continued, the patrol decided to leave the spot, in the process hitting a motorcycle that had been parked blocking the way.

After some distance, a crowd of around fifty people surrounded the patrol, deflated the tyres of UNIFIL vehicles, threw stones breaking windows and windscreens, and took away the aerials from the vehicles. When the crowd tried to grab the arms mounted on the UNIFIL vehicles, the peacekeepers fired warning shots in the air.

The UNIFIL patrol leader who had stepped out of the vehicle to try to talk to the civilians was roughed up by some members of the crowd and his weapon snatched. He received minor injuries on his forehead and was sheltered by some civilians in a nearby house.

UNIFIL reinforcements and Lebanese army personnel responded to the location. The Lebanese army recovered the UNIFIL weapons from the civilians and restored calm in the area.

UNIFIL Force Commander Major-General Alberto Asarta Cuevas said: “It is incumbent on the Lebanese authorities to ensure the security and freedom of movement for UNIFIL within its area of operation. The UN Security Council had, by its resolution 1773 of 2007, urged all parties to abide scrupulously by their obligation to respect the safety of UNIFIL personnel and ensure that UNIFIL is accorded full freedom of movement within its area of operation.”

During the incident, the Force Commander was in continuous contact with LAF generals in charge of the South Litany area and with the LAF Intelligence in order to control the situation and diffuse tensions.