Italy defence min denies new attack on Italian UNIFIL base

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 11 - The Italian defence ministry on Friday denied that an Italian base of the UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon had been targeted again by the Israeli army amid conflicting reports on an alleged IDF bulldozer breaking down walls of a base that was one of three attacked Thursday.
    After the reports that the base had been attacked for the second time, the ministry issued a statement saying the Ministry of Defense "categorically denies these claims.
    "The checks conducted in the field confirm that there has been no further attack.
    "Activities relating to the restoration of the previously damaged structures are currently underway carried out in full coordination and agreement between the Italian UNIFIL units, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)".
    The repair intervention, the Defense ministry added, "was made necessary due to the damage found in recent days and is aimed at guaranteeing the safety and operability of the mission's facilities.
    "The operations were planned and are being carried out with the consent of all interested parties, ensuring full compliance with the international agreements and protocols in force".
    The ministry invited the media "to carefully verify the information before its dissemination, in order to avoid the spread of unfounded news that could generate concern".
    Earlier, according to qualified security sources who are following the dossier and are in contact with the leaders of the UN mission, the attack allegedly took place overnight at the 1-31 base - already hit in recent days - and two demarcation walls of the base were knocked down.
    Israeli forces started targetting UNIFIL bases Thursday with three attacks on Italian bases which Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called a war crime, summoning the Israeli ambassador to Rome to lodge a formal complaint.
    Premier Giorgia Meloni has also called the attacks unacceptable.
    Italy has about 1,100 troops in the UN peacekeeping buffer force, which has been in Lebanon since 1978. (ANSA).