UNIFIL Welcomes Deployment of Additional Lebanese Soldiers in South

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary. UNIFIL photo
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary. UNIFIL photo
TT
20

UNIFIL Welcomes Deployment of Additional Lebanese Soldiers in South

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary. UNIFIL photo
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary. UNIFIL photo

UNIFIL Commander Major General Michael Beary has welcomed the deployment of additional Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon, saying it “will allow more joint patrolling and strengthen the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701.”

During a Town Hall meeting on Thursday with local authorities, Beary expressed gratitude to the local authorities for their unwavering support, which has contributed in maintaining stability in UNIFIL’s area of operations.

He also emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership and the joint activities between the Lebanese army and the peacekeepers, a UNIFIL statement said.

Beary also stressed the importance of working together with local leaders. “This gathering gives me the opportunity to hear your ideas and concerns as well as share my thoughts,” he added. “UNIFIL and the Lebanese people share a common goal: promoting stability and security in southern Lebanon. We can only achieve this goal together, through mutual respect, support and understanding." 
 
During the meeting, the UNIFIL commander heard from dignitaries, including the Qaymaqam of Marjayoun and several mayors from the country’s southeastern municipalities, the statement said. 
 
Earlier in the day, Beary inaugurated a newly refurbished UN hospital complex in Marjayoun located inside the UNIFIL Sector East Headquarters and operated by UNIFIL’s Chinese medical team. The Chinese hospital facility has 30 medical and support personnel. The hospital has provided medical services to both UNIFIL personnel and the local population since 2007.
 
Beary hailed China’s significant contribution to global peace and security, in particular to UNIFIL and south Lebanon, the statement added.

UNIFIL boasts more than 400 Chinese peacekeepers, who carry out construction, anti-landmine and medical activities.



At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
TT
20

At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, security sources said.

Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was an ISIS member. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, the ministry added in a statement.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as putting the preliminary casualty toll at nine dead and 13 injured.

Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defense, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.

“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said in a post on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship ... and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”