UN’s peacekeeping force in Lebanon UNIFIL said an Irish member died and three others were wounded in an incident in south Lebanon late Wednesday.
“Last night a peacekeeper was killed and three others were injured in an incident in Al-Aqbieh, just outside UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon,” the UNIFIL said in a statement.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of the peacekeeper who died,” the statement added.
The Irish military said “a convoy of two armored utility vehicles carrying eight personnel travelling to Beirut came under small arms fire” late Wednesday.
“Four personnel were taken to Raee Hospital, near Sidon as a result of the (2115 GMT) incident,” the Irish military added.
“One soldier was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital and another has undergone surgery and is in a serious condition. The other two soldiers are being treated for minor injuries.”
Al-Manar Correspondent’s Story
Al-Manar’s correspondent in south Lebanon Ali Shoeib reported that the two vehicles were moving outside UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon and were not escorted by the Lebanese Army.
“One of the vehicles deviated from the main highway between the south and Beirut, and took the seaside road towards the area of Al-Aqbieh-Khaizaran,” Shoeib said.
The vehicle took another road that is not used by UNIFIL vehicles, our correspondent noted, adding that it entered a coastal residential area where groups of youths were gathering to watch the World Cup semi-final match between Morocco and France.
“The vehicle ran over one of the citizens. It didn’t stop and rather it sped away before colliding with several cars in the area, as videos by eye witnesses showed,” Shoeib said, adding that several gunshots were heard coincidentally in the area.
Shoeib said that the Irish peacekeepers and the citizen who was run over by the UNIFIL vehicle were given first aid by local ambulances and transferred to nearby hospitals.
“The statement by the Irish military focused on the vehicle came under small arms fire and missed out the other details,” our correspondent added.
Lebanese Officials Offer Condolences
Commenting on the incident, Lebanese officials offered condolences to the UNIFIL.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri contacted UNIFIL Commander Major General Aroldo Lazaro and offered his deepest condolences to the UNIFIL command and the Irish battalion, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
For his part, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed his deep condolences and regret over the “painful incident”, stressing the need to swiftly conduct the necessary investigations to uncover the circumstances of the incident.
The Lebanese Army Command also offered condolences to UNIFIL, wishing those wounded a speedy recovery.
“Hezbollah Calls Not to Be Inserted in the Incident”
Meanwhile, senior Hezbollah official reportedly described the incident as “unintentional ” as he expressed condolence over the death of the Irish peacekeeper.
“We wish speedy recovery to the UNIFIL peacekeepers who were injured in the unintentional incident as well as to citizens who were wounded in the ramming incident,” Reutrs news agency quoted Wafiq Safa as saying.
Meanwhile, the official reportedly urged that the party not be “inserted” into the incident.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
