- UNIFIL patrols were targeted in three separate shootings by non-state armed groups in southern Lebanon on Sunday, March 15, 2026.
- Peacekeepers returned fire in self-defense near the municipalities of Yatar, Deir Kifa, and Qalaouiyah; no injuries were reported among UN personnel.
- Intensive Israeli airstrikes and ground clashes persist in the hilltop town of Khiam and Beirut’s southern suburbs as the regional conflict escalates following a new outbreak of war in early March.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that its peacekeepers came under fire on three separate occasions while conducting routine patrols in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the mission stated that the attacks were likely carried out by “non-state armed groups”, a term frequently used in reference to Hezbollah, marking the first instances of fire originating from within Lebanese territory against UN observers since the latest war began earlier this month.
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According to a UNIFIL statement, the most serious incident occurred near Yatar, where gunfire struck as close as five meters from the peacekeepers.
Two of the patrols engaged in brief exchanges of fire in self-defense before continuing their Security Council-mandated tasks.
No peacekeepers were injured in these skirmishes. However, the mission remains on high alert following an incident last week where three Ghanaian peacekeepers were injured by Israeli artillery fire, an event currently under investigation for potential deliberate targeting.
On the ground, the military situation has intensified sharply.
Heavy fighting is concentrated in the strategic hilltop town of Khiam. Israeli ground forces have been attempting to seize control of the municipality, but Hezbollah reported engaging Israeli troops directly with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.
The continued use of Israeli airstrikes in the area suggests that the town remains contested.
Beyond the border regions, the conflict has reached the Bekaa Valley and the heart of the capital.
In the past several hours, massive Israeli airstrikes have leveled buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh).
These strikes followed forced evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, which claims to be targeting Hezbollah infrastructure and financial assets, including branches of the Al-Qard al-Hassan firm.
The current escalation is part of a broader regional war that flared up on February 28, 2026, following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Since the start of March, the conflict in Lebanon has killed over 800 people and displaced nearly 14% of the country’s population.
UNIFIL emphasized that any attack on its personnel constitutes a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, warning that such actions may amount to war crimes.
