A squad of six Irish soldiers partaking in an armed patrol were involved in a drone or aerial assault on a village in southern Lebanon the past Saturday, resulting in considerable harm to their vehicles. Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, stated that although there were no casualties among the soldiers, their two armoured carriers sustained damage. As a routine part of the Irish-Pol Batt mission, the Irish forces had been accompanied by two Polish military members at the time of the incident.
Martin, who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, explained that the patrol was subjected to an attack, likely a drone or airstrike, while navigating the village. Evidently, they had just exited the village when shrapnel from the blast breached their vehicles. He stressed, however, that all soldiers were safe and had returned to base without any injuries.
Martin revealed that the Irish Government has some suspicions about the perpetrators of the assault but would prefer awaiting an in-depth Defence Forces inquiry to confirm the source. The Tánaiste insisted that both the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) and Hizbullah must respect their commitments to peacekeepers, highlighting that thousands of these individuals dedicate themselves to maintaining peace in Lebanon – a noble mission that warrants rigorous protection of our soldiers.
After discussing the matter with Anthony McKenna, the acting Chief of Staff for the Defence Forces, Martin anticipated receiving additional information later on Sunday. He labelled the event as ‘grave’ and expressed his concerns regarding the implications for Lebanon should the war escalate further, particularly for the innocent civilians and peacekeepers. He also urged all involved parties, including the IDF and Hizbullah, to be mindful of their responsibility in preserving peacekeepers’ safety as stipulated by the UN mandate.
Pte Seán Rooney, aged 24, a native of Dundalk, Co Louth, lost his life in an attack on a convoy of Irish Unifil peacekeepers, during a UN mission in the town of Al-Aqbiya in December 2022. The region where the town is located is under the control of Hizbullah, which is supported by Iran.
Following the incident, Muhammad Ayyad was apprehended and held on suspicion of involvement in the assault. However, his trial has since been postponed seven times, partly due to health issues. There are four other suspects implicated in the attack, yet they have never made an appearance in court.