An Irish UN peacekeeping soldier has been killed after a “serious incident” in Lebanon, the overseas ministry stated.
Several others had been wounded — together with 3 squaddies in a major situation.
Irish and Lebanese army officers stated that unidentified attackers had opened fireplace on a convoy on Tuesday night time.
The Irish Defense Forces stated in a commentary stated that two armoured automobiles — wearing 8 Irish United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping troops — had been using towards Beirut close to the village of Al-Aqbiya.
UNIFIL additionally showed that one peacekeeper used to be killed and 3 wounded.
“Our thoughts are also with the local civilians who may have been injured or frightened during the incident,” spokesperson Andrea Tenenti stated, including that “details are sparse and conflicting”.
An army investigation is underway to “determine exactly what happened”.
Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin — who heads up the federal government — expressed his condolences in a statement on Twitter.
“It is a reminder that our peacekeepers serve in dangerous circumstances, at all times, in the cause of peace,” he stated.
UNIFIL, which has been stationed in Lebanon since Israel’s 1978 invasion, is made up of just about 10,000 squaddies from other contingents.
Clashes have up to now came about between UNIFIL patrols and pro-Iranian Hezbollah supporters, who regard the peackeepers’ presence within the nation as a “violation of Lebanese sovereignty”.
In January, Irish UNIFIL peacekeepers had been attacked by way of assailants within the southern Lebanese the city of Bint Jbeil, with their automobiles vandalised and pieces stolen.
Local citizens had accused the troops of taking images of residential properties, regardless that the UN denied this.
