Hezbollah, Amal Flags Raised as Residents Halt UN Patrol in Southern Lebanon

A United Nations peacekeeping patrol was stopped Tuesday by residents in the southern Lebanese town of Siddiqin, Tyre district, after attempting to enter a local area without a Lebanese Army escort, according to local media.

Al Jadeed TV reported that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol tried to access the Jabal al-Kabir area on the town’s outskirts when it was intercepted by residents who objected to the force operating independently of the army.

During the standoff, several young men were seen raising Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags on one of the UN vehicles.

The situation was eventually defused when a unit from the Lebanese Army arrived, provided an escort for the patrol, and dispersed the crowd.