India has remained strangely silent about Israel’s bombing of a UN post in South Lebanon, where four soldiers were killed.
NEW DELHI: India has remained strangely silent about Israel’s bombing of a UN post in South Lebanon, where four soldiers were killed.
Washing its hands off the incident, foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna said “The UN Secretary General has already protested. India does not come into the picture.”
Nor has India made any noise about the injury to one of its soldiers deployed in Lebanon, who was hurt in the early days of Israeli air strikes. The Indian soldier from the 4 Sikh regiment, was hurt by a shrapnel and is recovering.
The soldier was part of the 672, odd Indian military personnel serving in Lebanon under the UN flag. India and Ghana are the two countries contributing troops for deployment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“All UNIFIL positions are still being manned and troops are taking safety precautions. The freedom of movement of the UNIFIL troops has, however, been curtailed due to close proximity to area of confrontation,’’ Sarna said.
“India’s Permanent Mission to the UN is in constant touch with the UN authorities and have stressed that high priority be accorded to the safety and security of the UNIFIL troops,’’ the spokesman emphasised. India has been part of the UNIFIL since 1998.
The mandate of the UNIFIL runs out by July 31, but is likely to be extended by another month. Despite the worsening situation in Lebanon, where even the UN flag cannot provide protection, New Delhi is not planning to call its contingent back home. It is up to the UN to decide on the role of the UNIFIL.
The Americans are pushing for a three month extension of the UN mission in Lebanon, perhaps signalling that it might take Israel at least another three months to complete its mission against the Hezbollah in Lebanon.
1,500 troops that make up this force are deployed in an dangerous area, around which much of the fighting is now on.
“All Indian soldiers serving in the UNIFIL are safe,” Sarna said.
The UNIFIL was created in 1978 after Israel withdrew from Lebanon and is now fulfilling its humanitarian obligation and helping to provide medical aid and rations to the civilians in the region.
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