Hizbollah fire hurts 3 UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

Beirut, Aug 6: Three Chinese soldiers in the United Nations peacekeeping force were lightly wounded today when a ortar round fired by Hizbollah hit their base in southern Lebanon, a spokesman for the UNIFIL force said.

''A mortar round from Hizbollah impacted inside the headquarters of the Chinese contingent in the al-Hinneyeh area,'' the spokesman said.

''They received medical treatment in position. Their condition is stable and they were not evacuated.'' An Israeli air strike killed four U.N. military observers at their base in southern Lebanon on July 25. Other Israeli shells have hit UNIFIL positions and wounded peacekeepers during the 26-day-old war between Israel and Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas.

In 1996, during Israel's Grapes of Wrath campaign in Lebanon, Israeli bombed a UNIFIL compound in the southern village of Qana, killing 106 civilians sheltering inside.

UNIFIL was created in 1978 after Israel's first major invasion of southern Lebanon and has been there ever since.

The United Nations has called for a bigger, more robust and better armed force in the area as part of expected resolution for a lasting ceasefire.

Reuters