Lebanese Army announces 6 arrests following attack on UNIFIL

The Lebanese army announced on Saturday the arrest of six people suspected of involvement in Thursday’s attack on a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) patrol in southern Lebanon, near Bint Jbeil.

“In the night of Dec. 3–4, 2025, several civilians attacked a UNIFIL patrol on the Tiri–Bint Jbeil road, damaging one of its vehicles, without any personnel being injured. The army immediately investigated the incident to pursue those responsible. The Intelligence Directorate subsequently arrested six individuals involved in the attack,” stated a Lebanese army communiqué posted on X.

Highlighting “the seriousness of any attack against UNIFIL,” the army command said it “will show no tolerance in pursuing those responsible.” “The command also recalls the essential role played by UNIFIL in the region south of the Litani River, the close coordination between UNIFIL and the army, and its active contribution to efforts to restore stability,” the statement added. The interrogation of the arrested individuals has begun under the supervision of the competent judicial authority.

Our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah, noted that the six arrested individuals are teenagers, aged 15–16, who had gathered to throw stones at the UNIFIL patrol. “They did not use firearms,” he said.

On Dec. 5, two days after the attack, the peacekeepers had “warned Lebanese actors against any reaction that could further escalate the situation.” In a statement, they noted that UN soldiers had been “approached by six men on three mopeds near Bint Jbeil, one of whom fired about three shots at the rear of the vehicle.” Although no UNIFIL personnel were injured, the attacks “are unacceptable and constitute serious violations of Security Council Resolution 1701,” the UN force emphasized. It also reminded Lebanese authorities of “their obligations to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers” and requested an investigation into the incident.

Tensions are frequent in southern Lebanon, a region where the population is close to Hezbollah and the Amal movement, but they appeared to have eased somewhat in recent months, particularly after the Security Council voted to extend UNIFIL’s mandate by one year, ahead of its planned withdrawal at the end of 2026.