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The Irish soldier was serving on a peacekeeping mission when the convoy came under small arms fire.
An Irish soldier on a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has been shot dead, and a second is in a critical condition after their armored vehicle was surrounded by a “hostile” mob, Ireland’s defense minister said.
The soldiers, from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), were aboard what Simon Coveney, Ireland’s foreign minister, said on Thursday had made a record run from UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon to Beirut when the incident occurred in the basements late in the day. Wednesday.
“The two armored vehicles were effectively separated. One of them was surrounded by a hostile crowd, I guess that’s the only way you could describe them, and shots were fired. Unfortunately, one of our peacekeepers was killed.
“This was not expected. Yes, there has been some tension on the ground between Hezbollah forces and UNIFIL in recent months, but nothing of the sort.”
The convoy of eight was heading to Beirut as two of its members were returning to Ireland on goodwill leave following the death of family members, the Chief of Staff of the Irish Defense Forces, Shane Clancy, told RTE.
Clancy said the second soldier remains in critical condition in a UN-run hospital after undergoing surgery.
The other two soldiers in the car are receiving treatment for minor injuries, while the rest of the four people in the other car were not injured.
UNIFIL said it was coordinating with the Lebanese Armed Forces and had opened an investigation.
“At the moment, the details are sporadic and conflicting,” she said in a statement.
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed deep regret over the incident, called for an investigation, and urged all parties to “exercise wisdom and patience.”
The Lebanese army offered its condolences but did not provide additional details about the incident.
A senior Hezbollah official said an “accident” killed an Irish soldier on a UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, saying the armed group was not involved.
Wafiq Safa told Reuters that his party offered its condolences “after the unintentional incident that occurred between the residents of Aqaba and members of the Irish unit,” and urged the party not to “get involved” in the incident.
Coveney, who is in New York for a meeting of the UN Security Council, said he will meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later on Thursday to discuss the incident.
Coveney said Irish peacekeepers have been in Lebanon since 1978, the first Irish death there in 20 years.
“We are all deeply shocked and saddened,” Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin told reporters in Brussels. “It is a reminder to us of the extraordinary sacrifices that our peacekeepers make on a constant basis.”
