Doha: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has announced that an Israeli tank opened fire on its troops near their position inside Lebanon. The peacekeeping forces had to hunker down and finally leave following the tank's withdrawal, without recording any casualties, UNIFIL said in a statement Sunday.

According to Qatar News Agency, the statement called on Israel to halt any hostile operations or attacks that either target UNIFIL forces or the areas in close proximity to them, stressing that these forces are operating to support efforts to restore stability in Lebanon. It considered this act as a grave violation of Resolution 1701.

The United Nations is poised to slash the number of peacekeeping forces by 25 percent in the months ahead, i.e., between 13,000 and 14,000 military and police personnel, due to a shortage in funding after the US slashed its contribution by half. The reduction punches away missions in countries including the Congo, Lebanon, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.