Blast injures five U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon

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REPORTING FROM BEIRUT -- Five soldiers from the U.N. peacekeeping force in south Lebanon were injured Friday when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle near the Mediterranean port city of Tyre, a spokesman said.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon did not release the soldiers’ nationalities, but media reports from Tyre said they were all French.

The injured peacekeepers were treated at the scene, then evacuated for further medical attention, said Andrea Tenenti, deputy spokesman for UNIFIL, which patrols Lebanon’s border with Israel.

A civilian passerby was also injured in the blast, according to media reports.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. UNIFIL forensics and investigation teams had arrived at the location and were working with their Lebanese counterparts on the case, according to Tenenti.

U.N. peacekeepers have often been targeted in Lebanon. In 2007, six Spanish soldiers were killed when a bomb exploded near an armored vehicle at the Israeli border. In July, a roadside bomb exploded near the southern town of Sidon as a U.N. convoy carrying French peacekeepers was passing, injuring at least five.

Last month, twin blasts targeting a hotel bar popular with U.N. troops and a liquor shop rocked Tyre, causing severe damage but no injuries. U.N. employees were staying at the hotel at the time, but Lebanese officials suggested that the explosions targeted establishments selling alcohol in the religiously diverse town.

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-- Alexandra Sandels