U.N. says four staff wounded in south Lebanon blast

UN peacekeepers wounded in southern Lebanon blast, sparking concerns of escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

United Nations peacekeepers said three military observers and a translator were wounded Saturday in a blast in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah militants trade frequent cross-border fire.

The military observers, from Australia, Chile and Norway, and a Lebanese language assistant had been on foot patrol around the so-called Blue Line — the U.N.-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon.

The four "were injured when an explosion occurred near their location", according to Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

The personnel were working for the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the U.N. peacekeeping force.

They were "evacuated for medical treatment" and were in a stable condition, Tenenti said, adding the United Nations was "investigating the origin of the explosion".

Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily fire since Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, triggering war in Gaza.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported an "enemy (Israeli) drone" raided the Rmeish area of southern Lebanon where the incident is said to have occurred.