The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced, in a statement issued today, that its patrol, which was carrying out the work of removing explosive ordnance on a road in the town of Ghandouriya, was exposed to small arms fire by non-governmental parties. She explained that the incident resulted in the death of one of the peacekeepers who succumbed to his wounds, while three others were injured, two of whom were in critical condition, and were transferred to medical centers to receive treatment. UNIFIL expressed its condolences to the family and colleagues of the slain soldier, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured, and affirmed its strong condemnation of the attack that targeted its members while carrying out their duties. It indicated that its teams launched an investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident, noting that initial assessments indicate that the source of the shooting was from non-governmental entities, suspected of belonging to Hezbollah. UNIFIL stressed that targeting peacekeepers is a serious violation of international law and Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes, calling on the Lebanese authorities to open a rapid investigation and hold those responsible for the incident accountable.