Irish soldier killed after UN convoy attacked in Lebanon - Al Jazeera English

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The Irish worker was serving connected a peacekeeping ngo erstwhile the convoy came nether tiny arms fire.

An Irish worker connected a United Nations peacekeeping ngo successful Lebanon has been changeable and killed and a 2nd is successful captious information aft a “hostile” assemblage surrounded their armoured vehicle, Ireland’s defence curate has said.

The soldiers, portion of the UN Interim Forces successful Lebanon (UNIFIL), were connected what Simon Coveney, who is besides Ireland’s overseas minister, said connected Thursday was a modular tally from UNIFIL’s country of operations successful southbound Lebanon to Beirut erstwhile the incidental happened successful al-Aqbieh precocious connected Wednesday.

“The 2 armoured vehicles efficaciously got separated. One of them got surrounded by a hostile mob, I deliberation that’s the lone mode you could picture them, and shots were fired. Unfortunately, 1 of our peacekeepers was killed,” Coveney told Irish nationalist broadcaster RTE.

“This was not expected, yes determination has been immoderate hostility connected the crushed betwixt Hezbollah forces and UNIFIL successful caller months but thing similar this.”

The convoy carrying 8 unit was travelling to Beirut arsenic 2 of the members were returning to Ireland connected compassionate permission pursuing the decease of household members, Irish Defence Forces Chief of Staff Seán Clancy told RTE.

The 2nd worker remains successful captious information successful a UN-managed infirmary aft undergoing surgery, Clancy said.

The 2 different soldiers successful the conveyance are being treated for insignificant injuries portion the remaining 4 unit from the different conveyance were not injured.

UNIFIL said it was coordinating with the Lebanese equipped forces and had launched an investigation.

“At the moment, details are sparse and conflicting,” it said successful a statement.

Lebanon’s caretaker premier Najib Mikati expressed his heavy regret implicit the incidental and called for an investigation, urging each parties to “show contented and patience”.

The Lebanese service offered its condolences but did not springiness further details connected the incident.

A elder Hezbollah authoritative said an “unintentional incident” had led to the decease of an Irish worker connected a UN peacekeeping ngo successful confederate Lebanon, saying the equipped radical was not involved.

Wafiq Safa told Reuters his enactment offered its condolences “after the unintentional incidental that took spot betwixt the residents of al-Aqbieh and individuals from the Irish unit,” and urged that the enactment not beryllium “inserted” into the incident.

Coveney, successful New York for a UN Security Council meeting, said helium volition conscionable UN Secretary-General António Guterres aboriginal connected Thursday to sermon the incident.

Irish peacekeepers person been successful Lebanon since 1978 and it is the archetypal Irish decease determination successful 20 years, Coveney said.

“We’re each precise shocked and profoundly saddened, it is simply a reminder to america of the bonzer sacrifices that our peacekeepers marque connected a changeless basis,” Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin told reporters successful Brussels.