Juppe Condemns 'Vile' Attack on French Peacekeepers

Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned Friday's bomb attack on a U.N. peacekeeping patrol in Lebanon in which five French troops were wounded, saying France would not be intimidated by such "vile acts.”

"I condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly attack that was carried out against UNIFIL this morning," Juppe added in a statement.

France is "determined to continue its involvement with UNIFIL (and) will not be intimidated by such vile acts," Juppe said.

UNIFIL patrols have been the target of a string of unclaimed roadside bomb attacks in recent years, including two previously in 2011.

Friday's blast came amid heightened tension over the bloody uprising in Syria, with some warning the unrest could spill over into Lebanon.

There have been constant fears that the UNIFIL force stationed in the south of the country would be an easy target should the unrest reach Lebanon.

The 12,000-strong UNIFIL force was first deployed in 1978 and was expanded after a devastating 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.