Austria says eight of its UNIFIL troops in Lebanon injured in rocket attack

Eight Austrian soldiers belonging to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sustained superficial injuries in a rocket strike on the force's headquarters in Naqoura, Austria's Defence Ministry said on October 29, Report informs via Reuters.

UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel, an area that has seen more than a year of fighting that turned into fierce clashes this month between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

"We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and demand that it be investigated immediately," the ministry said in a statement, adding that it was not clear where the attack came from and none of the soldiers needed urgent medical care.

UNIFIL later issued a statement saying the rocket, which set a vehicle workshop ablaze, was fired from north of the site, "likely by Hizbullah or an affiliated group", and that it had opened an investigation.

Austria contributes about 180 soldiers to the 10,000-strong force. They are part of a "Multi Role Logistic Unit" that performs roles like transporting goods and personnel, repairing vehicles, supplying fuel and firefighting.

The strike comes amid heavy fighting between Hezbollah and Israel in border areas where Israel has been making ground incursions and after a night of Israeli strikes focused on the eastern Bekaa Valley that killed more than 60 people, according to Lebanese authorities.