A United Nations peacekeeping patrol has come under fire in southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said on Tuesday, in the latest incident to hit the mission as its mandate nears its end.

UNIFIL said about a dozen rounds were fired at one of its patrols near Wadi Jilu, in Lebanon's Tyre district, without specifying who was behind the shooting. The patrol returned fire after spotting a muzzle flash, and the shooting then stopped. UNIFIL reported no casualties and called for an investigation.

Peacekeepers call for investigation

UNIFIL said it had urged the Lebanese government to swiftly launch an investigation to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. In its statement, the force said it reiterated the obligation under international law for all actors to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times, and that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are violations of Security Council Resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law.

The incident took place east of Tyre and outside the Israeli buffer zone, according to reports of the UNIFIL statement. The force did not identify the assailants, and it was not clear on Tuesday whether the shooting was deliberate or who had opened fire.

Mission nears its end

UNIFIL is a peacekeeping mission established by the UN Security Council in March 1978, days after Israel invaded Lebanon. The force has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon ever since, but its presence has been unable to prevent several rounds of conflict, including the latest between Israel and Hezbollah.

The incident comes as the mission prepares to end operations on 31 December under a Security Council decision taken last year under pressure from the United States. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that the G7 foreign ministers agreed on the need to avoid a security void in Lebanon after the mandate expires, and backed the need to move quickly towards a new security architecture. However, he acknowledged there had been no breakthrough on replacing UNIFIL, which comprises some 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries. Lebanese officials have called for the mandate to be extended. Al Jazeera reported the shooting, and The Times of Israel, cited in a second report, also covered the incident.