Multiple Inquiries To Be Launched After Death Of Irish Soldier On UN Duty In Lebanon

Multiple investigations are due to be carried out into the death of an Irish soldier, who was killed while serving as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

Ireland’s Defence Forces said 23-year-old Private Seán Rooney was killed in the incident on the night of December 14. He had joined the Defence Forces in March 2019. Another Irish peacekeeper, 22-year-old Private Shane Kearney, was injured along with two other unnamed soldiers.

The soldiers were part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) and had been travelling in a convoy of two armoured utility vehicles, heading from their base in Bint Jbeil near the border with Israel to Beirut Airport, reportedly to return home for Christmas leave. They came under small arms fire in the village of Al-Aqbieh, just outside the mission’s area of operation.

Ireland’s defence and foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said in a statement on December 15 that he was due to meet UN secretary general António Guterres in New York later that day “to discuss the loss of our peacekeeper and the full investigation that must now follow.”

Guterres has himself called for “a swift investigation by relevant authorities to determine the facts related to the incident and the need for accountability.”

Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Young, head of overseas operations for the Irish Defence Forces, told Ireland’s RTE News that the two vehicles in the convoy had become separated from each other and the rear vehicle was surrounded by a group. The situation “very quickly escalated into a very serious incident and small arms fire was used and with tragic results,” he said.

The Lebanese militia group Hezbollah has denied it was involved in the attack, but Coveney told RTE that “We don’t accept any assurances until we have a full investigation concluded to establish the full truth.”

A statement by Unifil said “At the moment, details are sparse and conflicting … We are coordinating with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and have launched an investigation to determine exactly what happened.”

Ireland’s President Michael Higgins, who is also supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces, said in a statement that “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.”

The Unifil force was set up by the UN Security Council in March 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and assist with restoring peace and security in the area. The first troops arrived later that month. It was given further powers after the war in July and August 2006. The mission’s mandate is renewed annually by the UN Security Council, with the most recent extension being approved on August 31 this year.

As of August 28, the Unifil force consisted of 9,923 peacekeepers from 48 contributing countries. The largest contingent was from Indonesia, with 1,106 peacekeepers; at the time Ireland provided 343.

The Irish Army has suffered more casualties than any other country in the UN mission’s 44-year history, with 324 fatalities. Rooney’s death is the first of an Irish soldier serving on a UN mission in more than two decades.