The United Nations Interim Forces in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Wednesday the explosion that hit a patrol in southern Lebanon last weekend and injured three UN peacekeepers was not a “direct or indirect hit.”

According to preliminary investigations, no “direct or indirect hits,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenneti told dpa, suggesting that no drone or artillery was involved.

“We are continuing our investigation to clarify the exact cause,” he added.

On March 30, there was an explosion in Lebanon near the Israeli border in which a Lebanese language assistant was also injured along with the UN peacekeepers.

The group was on foot patrol along the border with Israel.

The Lebanese news agency, NNA, said at the time that a drone attacked a UNIFIL vehicle.

Lebanese reports spoke of an attack by the Israeli military.

The Israeli army rejected the allegations.

Lebanese security sources said on Wednesday that an explosive device or a landmine had exploded on the side of the road as the patrol was in the area.

They ruled out that it was an Israeli drone attack or Israeli shelling.

Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacre by Hamas in Israel on October 7, there have been daily, sometimes deadly, confrontations between Israel’s army and militant groups such as Hezbollah.

Civilians have also been killed in both countries as a result of mutual shelling.

UNIFIL has been monitoring the border area between the two countries since 1978.

(dpa/NAN)