Two UN Peacekeepers In Beirut Still In Critical Condition - Spokesman

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th August, 2020) Leaders of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) began assessing damage to the unit's Maritime Task Force ship from Tuesday's explosion that covered much of the part in a thick cloud of smoke and debris, sending 23 peacekeepers to the hospital, United Nations spokesman Farhan Haq said on Thursday.

"A total of 23 UNIFIL peacekeepers from Bangladesh had been admitted to hospitals, of whom 18 have been discharged," Haq said.

The UN spokesperson added that two peacekeepers remain in critical but stable condition.

UNIFIL leaders spent much of Thursday assessing damage to the ship and visiting peacekeepers that remain in hospitals.

UNIFIL was set up in 1978, initially to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from South Lebanon. Today, the force consists of more 10,000 peacekeeping troops drawn from 45 nations.

Most of the force, with the exception of a maritime unit, is deployed in South Lebanon and was not impacted by Tuesday's explosion in Beirut, Haq said.