Multiple aerial bombs exploded on the periphery of Chinese peacekeeping troops' barracks in Lebanon, leaving some facilities damaged by shock waves and bomb fragments. No injuries were reported.
The blast happened on a hillside that lies about 700 meters away from the barracks, sending up billows of black smokes when the 22nd Chinese peacekeeping multi-role engineer contingent was having a physical training program, forcing them to rush into a shelter.
The Chinese peacekeepers later found some doors, windows, ceilings, mirrors, and glasses damaged to varying degrees, with cement road surface pitted and tree branches broken.
The explosion came after Hezbollah has been trading attacks across the southern Lebanese border with Israel for nearly a year, since Israel launched its deadly offensive on Gaza in October.
Multiple bombs explode near Chinese peacekeepers' barracks in Lebanon
Multiple bombs explode near Chinese peacekeepers' barracks in Lebanon
Multiple bombs explode near Chinese peacekeepers' barracks in Lebanon
Multiple bombs explode near Chinese peacekeepers' barracks in Lebanon
Voting for the presidential election in Sri Lanka kicked off on Saturday, with over 17 million registered voters to elect the country's president for the next five years.
A total of 38 candidates contest in this year's presidential election, including incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sajith Premadasa of the opposition Samagi Jana Balawega (SJB), and Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People's Power (NPP).
Voting started at 7:00 local time on Saturday and will end at 16:00 on the same day. The final result will be revealed on Sunday.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won the presidential election in November 2019, resigned from the post in July 2022 amid a severe economic crisis in the South Asian country.
Wickremesinghe was elected as president in an election held in parliament following Rajapaksa's resignation.
Two years after the country declared bankruptcy, economic issues will play a major role in the outcome of the election.
"I think the prices of food, prices of daily essentials, prices of things like petrol, diesel, those are the things that are going to be on top of the mind of the voters," said Riyad Riffai, one of the voters.
Voting for Sri Lanka's presidential election kicks off
