Investigators from the UN sanctioned Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) and an interpreter, were "unexpectedly and violently " attacked on Wednesday following a doctor's visit at a Beirut clinic, Xinhua reported.
A press release issued here from the Netherlands-based STL Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) confirmed the incident.
Two male investigators and their female interpreter were attending a pre-arranged meeting with a doctor in the Lebanese capital city, when they were attacked by a "large group of people. "
According to the Office of the Prosecutor, the Lebanese army successfully extracted the three staff members and brought them safely to the STL Beirut office where they received medical attention.
"The Office of the Prosecutor takes this incident very seriously and is currently gathering the facts. The Lebanese authorities have launched an investigation," said the press release.
Established by the UN Security Council in 2007, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is tasked with investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who died in car bomb in 2005.
Tensions in Lebanon remain high, as the STL is expected to hand down indictments in the assassination within the next few months.
"The Office of the Prosecutor denounces the use of violence," the press release said. "The investigation into the Hariri attack will continue and this incident will not deter the OTP from pursuing its mission."
The STL issued its own strong condemnation of the attack later on Wednesday calling it a "deplorable attempt to obstruct justice. "