BEIRUT: The UN Interim Force in Lebanon has urged Beirut to ensure a speedy investigation after an Irish soldier was shot dead in the south of the country.
The Irish military said a UNIFIL convoy came under fire near Al-Aqabiya, injuring three other personnel.
The murder of Pvt. On Wednesday night, 23-year-old Sean Rooney crashed in a field outside UNIFIL’s work area in southern Lebanon after a vehicle strayed from the convoy, and the vehicle was targeted.
Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati and General Joseph Aoun went to UNIFIL headquarters in Nakoura on Friday to express their condolences and meet with the force’s commander, Major General Aroldo Lazaro.
Aoun said that both the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL were coordinating their efforts.
“The investigation into the killing of the Irish soldier is ongoing and anyone found guilty will be punished,” Mikati said in a statement.
A delegation of parliamentarians from the Amal Movement also expressed condolences at the UNIFIL headquarters, emphasizing solidarity with the international forces.
Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney expressed his concern about the incident in a telephone call with Lebanese acting Defense Minister Maurice Slim.
Coveney said: “For two decades, the Irish unit has not been subjected to any aggression. It is doing its duty to maintain peace in the region.”
The Irish minister stressed the importance of an investigation to uncover the truth, given the role played by the Irish unit within UNIFIL over the decades.
Both the French Foreign Ministry and the US State Department condemned the incident and the unjustified level of violence against the peacekeepers, which also endangers Lebanese civilians and threatens stability in southern Lebanon.
The US State Department urged the Lebanese government to cooperate fully with UNIFIL.
Irish President Michael D. Higgins said: “As a people, we are very proud of our consistent record of peacekeeping with the United Nations. However, we must never forget the dangers of this work.”
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin said: “We are dealing in a difficult hostile environment.”
A source told Arab News: “Three parties are in charge of the investigation: UNIFIL leadership, Lebanese army intelligence and an Irish team that is due to arrive to help with the investigation.”
The source said the vehicle had been shot seven times, and the doctor who examined the victim, who was the driver, said he was shot in the head and killed instantly.
The car overturned and three other soldiers were injured, one of whom is in critical condition.
The source said: “Some things remain unclear. We still don’t know why the vehicle left the convoy, why the Lebanese army was not escorting the convoy, whether the victim used the GPS provided by all UNIFIL convoys , and whether he used his communication device to inform headquarters that he had lost his way.
“It seems that the youth in Al-Aqabiya were apprehensive about the UNIFIL vehicle, as UNIFIL has never entered their town, especially at night. The vehicle was surrounded.
Since the Security Council resolution was renewed in September, no significant incidents have been recorded between UNIFIL patrols and local people, who are mostly pro-Hezbollah, in the areas of operation.
However, there have been incidents against the backdrop of UNIFIL forces entering private property or residential neighborhoods, during which vehicles have been destroyed, communications equipment confiscated, and soldiers injured.
Hezbollah has denied any connection to Wednesday’s incident.
UNIFIL conducts over 400 patrol missions daily in its areas of operations, and is supported by the Lebanese Army.
The force has approximately 11,000 officers and soldiers, including 350 Irish soldiers.
The source said: “The Unifil convoy, which left the town of Al-Tiri, the headquarters of the Irish unit, on Wednesday night was headed to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut as the young Irish victim wanted to leave for his country. Spend holidays with your family.