Soldier dies after convoy fired on in Lebanon

One Irish soldier has died and another is in a serious condition after two armoured vehicles came under fire last night in Lebanon.

At 9.15pm last night, members of the 121st Infantry Battalion, UNIFIL, were involved in a serious incident.

A convoy of two Armoured Utility Vehicles (AUVs) carrying eight personnel travelling to Beirut came under small arms fire. Four personnel were taken to Raee Hospital, near Sidon as a result of the incident.

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. A medical officer from the 121st Infantry Battalion is currently with the soldiers in Raee Hospital.

.The remaining four personnel from the convoy were not injured and are safe and accounted for.

The names of personnel are not being released by the Defence Forces at this time, but the families of those involved have been informed.

The Chief of Staff of Óglaigh na hÉireann, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy stated, “we in Óglaigh na hÉireann are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of this tragic event and the loss of one of our peacekeepers. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fellow peacekeepers from the 121st Infantry Battalion. Our thoughts are also with those who were injured last night and their families and friends. We have one of our medical officers currently at Raee Hospital and we will ensure that our personnel get the best possible care. Our focus now is to ensure the safety and continued support for all our personnel deployed in Lebanon.”

A full investigation will commence into this incident.

The 121st Infantry Battalion, comprising of 333 Irish soldiers, deployed in November to South Lebanon as part of UNIFIL (United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon).

The 121st Infantry Battalion are part of a multinational battalion, comprising of Irish, Maltese, Polish and Hungarian personnel.

The Taoiseach has spoken of his deep sense of sadness and shock.

"I want to express the heartfelt sorrow of the Government of Ireland at the loss of a young person serving overseas with the United Nations.

"In particular, I extend to his family our deepest sympathies for the terrible loss they have suffered.

"It is a reminder that our peacekeepers serve in dangerous circumstances, at all times, in the cause of peace.

"Our thoughts are with his colleagues, and to the wider Defence Forces family and all who serve overseas, we know how deeply you will feel this loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."

The President Michael D. Higgins has also expressed his sympathies.

"It is with a heavy heart, and conscious of the great loss it will represent to them, that I offer my deepest condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the member of the Defence Forces who has lost their life. A life lost serving the people of Ireland, serving the United Nations, and serving all those wishing for peace in our shared world.

"As a people, we take great pride in our unbroken record of peacekeeping with the United Nations. However, we must never forget the dangers that come with this work, or how the members of our Defence Forces serving on peacekeeping missions abroad risk their lives every day in order to build and maintain peace in conflict zones across the world."