Irish troops come under fire while on patrol in Lebanon
Irish peacekeepers came under fire in south
Lebanon
on Thursday.
The
Defence Forces
said that Irish troops were unharmed in the incident.
Tánaiste and Minister for Defence
Simon Harris
said the
Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) were responsible. He 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'.
The Defence Forces said they received reports that a number of shots were fired in the area of a joint Irish peacekeeper and Lebanese Armed Forces patrol in south Lebanon.
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In a statement, Oglaigh na hEireann 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 Defence Forces can confirm that they have received reports of an incident this morning involving a joint Irish UNIFIL & Lebanese Armed Forces Patrol near the Blue Line in South Lebanon. A number of small arm rounds were fired in the vicinity of the area in which the Patrol…
— Óglaigh na hÉireann (@defenceforces)
The Tanaiste 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 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 Irish Defence Forces currently has 340 personnel serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.- Press Association
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