An Irish Soldier On UN Peacekeeping Duty Killed In Lebanon
An Irish soldier on UN peacekeeping duty killed in Lebanon, and three other soldiers been injured. On the way to Beirut on Wednesday night, the soldiers were in an armored car that was surrounded by a mob that shot at.
Author:Suleman ShahReviewer:Han JuDec 15, 20221 Shares538 Views
An Irish soldier on UN peacekeeping duty killed in Lebanon, and three other soldiers have been injured. On the way to Beirut on Wednesday night, the soldiers were in an armored car that was surrounded by a mob that shot at them.
Pte. Seán Rooney, who was 23, was dead when he got to a hospital near Sidon, and another soldier who had surgery is in very bad shape. The other two soldiers have minor injuries that are being taken care of.
They were part of the UNIFIL's 121st Infantry Battalion (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). Pte Rooney, who is from Newtowncunningham in County Donegal, joined the Irish Defense Forces in March 2019. Pte. Shane Kearney, 22, from Killeagh in County Cork, is the soldier who was hurt very badly.
The fatal incident happened in Al-Aqbieh, which is just outside the UN-affiliated group's area of operations. At around 11:15pm local time (9.15pm Irish time), locals stopped a car carrying four people and surrounded it.
Terrible Sadness
The Irish Minister for Defense, Simon Coveney, stated on RTÉ radio that he was under the impression that two armored patrol vehicles were on a routine administrative mission in Beirut.
“„The two armoured vehicles effectively got separated, one of them got surrounded by a hostile mob - I think that’s the only way you could describe them - and shots were fired and unfortunately one of our peacekeepers was killed and another was very seriously injured. I would have, of course, met a lot of these young men before they left when we had a troop review in Galway before they headed off on this mission - smart, bright and motivated, well-trained soldiers. This is the worst possible newsthat a family can hear.- Irish Defence Minister Simon Coveney
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the Irish Prime Minister, expressed his condolences to the soldier's family during an interview with RTÉ.
“„We know the commitment of our soldiers, particularly those in Lebanon. They take great pride in their work. It has always been in the cause of peace and Ireland's international contribution.- Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin
He suggested that it would be prudent to wait until an exhaustive investigation and analysis had been completed before talking about what had occurred. The hazards that come with working to protect the peace should never be forgotten, according to the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.
Dangerous Circumstances
The chief of staff of the Irish Defence Forces, Lt Gen Seán Clancy, said:
“„Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fellow peacekeepers from the 121st Infantry Battalion. Our focus now is to ensure the safety and continued support for all our personnel deployed in Lebanon.- chief of staff of the Irish Defence Forces, Lt Gen Seán Clancy
Senator Tom Clonan, who used to be an army officer, said that the route between the Irish Army camp in southern Lebanon and the capital city of Beirut was well known by the Irish who had served there.
"We've seen in parts of Lebanon and on the border with Syria, we have seen the rising of groups that are aligned with organizations like Islamic State."
Mary Lou McDonald, the leader of Sinn Féin, said that she is "deep pride in the role that our forces have played in peacekeeping missions for decades" and that the soldiers "are in our thoughts and prayersthis morning."
The caretaker Premier of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, said he was very sorry about what happened and asked for an investigation. He also asked everyone involved to "show wisdom and patience."
The Lebanese army also sent its condolences, but it didn't say anything else about what happened. Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official, said that the peacekeeper's death was caused by an "unintentional incident" and that the armed group was not to blame.
First Death In 20 Years
The soldiers are in Lebanon as part of a mission called Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), which is run by the UN to keep the peace. In the past few months, there has been a lot of fighting between Unifil and local armed groups. This is because the country is becoming more unstable.
It is the first time a member of the Defense Forces has died in combat in 23 years, and the first time since 2003 on a peacekeeping mission. After the attack, the Defense Forces, the United Nations, and the local police will all look into what happened.
Since the 1970s, Irish soldiers have kept the peace in south Lebanon as part of the UN. In November, 333 Irish soldiers from the 121st Infantry Battalion were sent to the area as part of the Unifil mission. They are part of a battalion that also has people from Ireland, Malta, Poland, and Hungary.
Suleman Shah
Author
Suleman Shah is a researcher and freelance writer. As a researcher, he has worked with MNS University of Agriculture, Multan (Pakistan) and Texas A & M University (USA). He regularly writes science articles and blogs for science news website immersse.com and open access publishers OA Publishing London and Scientific Times. He loves to keep himself updated on scientific developments and convert these developments into everyday language to update the readers about the developments in the scientific era. His primary research focus is Plant sciences, and he contributed to this field by publishing his research in scientific journals and presenting his work at many Conferences.
Shah graduated from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (Pakistan) and started his professional carrier with Jaffer Agro Services and later with the Agriculture Department of the Government of Pakistan. His research interest compelled and attracted him to proceed with his carrier in Plant sciences research. So, he started his Ph.D. in Soil Science at MNS University of Agriculture Multan (Pakistan). Later, he started working as a visiting scholar with Texas A&M University (USA).
Shah’s experience with big Open Excess publishers like Springers, Frontiers, MDPI, etc., testified to his belief in Open Access as a barrier-removing mechanism between researchers and the readers of their research. Shah believes that Open Access is revolutionizing the publication process and benefitting research in all fields.
Han Ju
Reviewer
Hello! I'm Han Ju, the heart behind World Wide Journals. My life is a unique tapestry woven from the threads of news, spirituality, and science, enriched by melodies from my guitar. Raised amidst tales of the ancient and the arcane, I developed a keen eye for the stories that truly matter. Through my work, I seek to bridge the seen with the unseen, marrying the rigor of science with the depth of spirituality.
Each article at World Wide Journals is a piece of this ongoing quest, blending analysis with personal reflection. Whether exploring quantum frontiers or strumming chords under the stars, my aim is to inspire and provoke thought, inviting you into a world where every discovery is a note in the grand symphony of existence.
Welcome aboard this journey of insight and exploration, where curiosity leads and music guides.
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