UN chief Ban Ki-moon late Friday slammed an attack that lightly wounded two Irish UN peacekeepers in South Lebanon, as well as rocket firing into northern Israel from Lebanon earlier this week. "The secretary general strongly condemns the January 8 attack against a UNIFIL vehicle on the coastal highway near the town of Sidon, outside UNIFIL's area of operations," his press office said in a statement.

It said UNIFIL and Lebanese authorities were cooperating and coordinating closely in an ongoing investigation of the attack and said Ban hoped the perpetrators would be swiftly identified and brought to justice.

Two Irish military officers serving with UNIFIL were wounded in Tuesday's roadside bombing which damaged their vehicle on the coastal highway near Sidon, UNIFIL said.

The UN secretary general also condemned Tuesday's rocket firing into Israel.