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‘Increasingly unstable' – Irish soldiers ‘safe' in Lebanon after being fired at by Israeli army while on patrol
IRISH soldiers serving as peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have come under fire near Israel's blueline.
A number of rounds were fired at our troops today while they were on a joint patrol with the
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Harris insisted the incident underlines the dangers that Defence Forces personnel face
Credit: PA
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Hundreds of Irish troops are currently posted in Lebanon
Credit: Kenneth O'Halloran - The Sun Dublin
Mr Harris said: 'I have been briefed on an incident in southern Lebanon whereby Irish soldiers were fired at by an IDF patrol close to the Blue Line.'
The incident took place this morning close to the village of Yaroun.
A joint Irish UNIFIL and Lebanese Armed Forces patrol were forced to withdraw from the area, although there were no injuries reported.
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But Mr Harris insisted the incident underlines the dangers that Defence Forces personnel face as they continue to maintain peace in Southern Lebanon.
He said: 'I want to firstly send my best wishes to the Irish Defence Forces personnel affected in today's incident.
'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.'
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Mr Martin added: 'The safety of peacekeepers carrying out their mandated duties must be respected by all. Fortunately all Irish troops are safe and well.'
Simon Harris confirms Irish peacekeepers in Lebanon are safe amid conflict escalation
Oglaigh na hEireann confirmed a number of small arms rounds were fired in the vicinity of the area where Irish soldiers were operating.
They said: 'The patrol withdrew from the area, there were no injuries to the personnel on the patrol and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from.
'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 to 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.'
