Six people have been arrested following an attack on Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon on Thursday, the Lebanese army has said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) came under small fire from militants near the village of Bint Jbeil in the Irish area of operations. A group of Defence Forces soldiers were patrolling in armoured utility vehicles (AUVs) when they were approached by six men on three mopeds.
One of the men was armed with an assault rifle and allegedly fired about three shots at the back of the AUV. The AUV’s armour held up against the shots and there were no injuries.
In a statement in Arabic on Saturday, the Lebanese military said it immediately followed up on the incident and has arrested six people.
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On Friday the Irish Defence Forces said its personnel “initiated immediate action drills and their actions and force protection measures, as well as the armoured capabilities of the vehicles they were conducting the patrol in, ensured the safety of all troops”.
“All our personnel are well and accounted for, proving 127 Infantry Battalion’s readiness through their tactics, techniques and procedures, their pre-deployment training and their equipment.
“We will continue to enact the Unifil mandate by monitoring and reporting on the situation in southern Lebanon and condemn any attacks on peacekeepers,” the Defence Forces said.
The area in which the attack occurred is a stronghold of the Hizbullah militant group. Members of Hizbullah were previously convicted of murdering Irish peacekeeper Pte Seán Rooney in Lebanon in 2022.
The latest incident has also been condemned by Unifil, which called for a “full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice”.
“Attacks on peacekeepers are unacceptable and serious violations of Resolution 1701,” it said.
