Irish peacekeepers came under fire in south Lebanon on Thursday.
The Defence Forces said that Irish troops were unharmed in the incident.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris was briefed on the incident, understood to have taken place at around midday close to Yaroun village.
The area in which the Irish soldiers were patrolling was fired at by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) patrol, close to the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights.
Irish soldiers were on peacekeeping duties as part of a joint patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces.
None of the Irish personnel – who were recently deployed to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) as part of the 126th Infantry Battalion – were injured in the incident.
In a statement on X, Mr Harris said he had been “briefed on an incident in southern Lebanon whereby Irish soldiers were fired at by an IDF patrol close to the Blue Line”.
In a statement, the Defence Forces said a number of small arm rounds were fired in the vicinity of the area in which the patrol was operating.
“The patrol withdrew from the area, there was no injuries to the personnel on the patrol and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from,” they said.
“All personnel of the Irish contingent in Lebanon are reported to be safe and well, they continue to monitor the situation in southern Lebanon and are committed the stability of the region as impartial peacekeepers.
“We wish to remind all actors of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.”
The Tánaiste said the incident illustrates the dangers that Defence Forces personnel face as they continue to maintain peace in south Lebanon.
“I want to firstly send my best wishes to the Irish Defence Forces personnel affected in today’s incident,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
“While I am very pleased to report that all personnel are safe and well, the fact they came under fire while on patrol is deeply worrying.
“Today’s incident illustrates the dangers that our peacekeepers face every single day while on a patrol in a region that has been increasingly unstable and volatile.”
The incident took place on International UN Peacekeepers’ Day.
The Irish Defence Forces currently has some 340 personnel serving with Unifil in Lebanon. Ireland has been part of the mission since 1978, and 30,000 personnel have served there to date. Ireland’s participation in Unifil has been renewed for a further 12 months. – Additional reporting Press Association
