Austria says eight of its UNIFIL troops in Lebanon injured in rocket attack

Vienna: Eight Austrian soldiers belonging to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sustained superficial injuries in a rocket strike on the force's headquarters in Naqoura, Austria's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel, an area that has seen fierce clashes this month between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.

"We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and demand that it be investigated immediately," the ministry said in a statement, adding that it was not clear where the attack came from and none of the soldiers needed urgent medical care.

UNIFIL later issued a statement saying the rocket, which set a vehicle workshop ablaze, was fired from north of the site, "likely by Hizbullah or an affiliated group", and that it had opened an investigation.

Austria contributes about 180 soldiers to the 10,000-strong force. They are part of a "Multi Role Logistic Unit" that performs roles like transporting goods and personnel, repairing vehicles, supplying fuel and firefighting.

UNIFIL said earlier this month it had come under several "deliberate" attacks by Israeli forces and efforts to help civilians in villages in the war zone were being hampered by Israeli shelling.

Israel says UN forces provide a human shield for Hezbollah and has told UNIFIL to evacuate peacekeepers from southern Lebanon for their own safety - a request that it has refused.

Five peacekeepers had already been injured since the start of Israeli ground operation in Lebanon on Oct. 1. UNIFIL positions have been affected at least 20 times, including by direct fire and an incident on Oct. 13 when two Israeli tanks burst through the gates of a UNIFIL base, according to the UN.

Israel has ramped up its air strikes across Lebanon over the last month, saying it is targeting Hezbollah. Lebanese officials, rights groups and residents of affected towns say the strikes are indiscriminate.