IRISH PEACEKEEPERS HAVE been struck in an aircraft or drone bombing raid in South Lebanon, the Irish Defence Forces has confirmed.
The incident which happened last night is understood to have involved two United Nations liveried vehicles – understood to be two Armoured Utility Vehicles which are heavily armoured SUV style cars.
A spokesman with the Irish Defence Forces has confirmed that no personnel were injured in the incident.
He said an investigation is underway but it is believed that it “was an air delivered munition from a drone or an aircraft”.
In a statement the military said: “The Defence Forces can confirm that yesterday at approximately 2000hrs local time, a 2-vehicle patrol in the IRISHPOLBATT area of operations in UNIFIL South Lebanon was caught in an explosive blast of unknown origin.
“The Defence Forces can confirm All personnel are safe and accounted for. There were NO casualties, and both vehicles and all personnel recovered to the Irish position of UNP 245. The 124th Infantry Battalion will continue to conduct framework operations and remain the eyes and ears in South Lebanon for the international community.”
At least one of the vehicles involved has sustained damage in the incident.
The Irish troops operate in an area near the towns of At Tiri and Bint Jbeil in South Lebanon – the area is known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
Tensions are very high in South lebanon, where the Irish troops are tasked with monitoring a ceasefire line between Hezbollah and Israel.
Forty-seven Irish troops have been killed in South Lebanon on peacekeeping the duty – the most recent death occurred when Donegal native Private Sean Rooney was shot dead in 2022 by Hezbollah fighters.
Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in low-intensity crossborder fighting since the Hamas-led attacks against Israel last October, with the Lebanese group promising to support their allies in Gaza.
At the end of July, Israel assassinated senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukur in Beirut, prompting fears of an escalation in the conflict.
Yesterday, Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack against an army base in the north of Israel following the killing of a Hamas commander in south Lebanon a day earlier.
Hezbollah fighters launched “squadrons of explosive-laden drones” at the Michve Alon base near the Galilee town of Safed “in response to the attack and assassination carried out by the Israeli enemy in the city of Sidon” on Friday, the group said in a statement.
Hezbollah’s media office said it was “the first time” the group had targeted that base.
On Friday, an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the south Lebanon city of Sidon killed a Hamas commander, the Palestinian militant group and the Israeli military said.
Hamas said in a statement that Samer al-Hajj was killed “in a Zionist strike in the city of Sidon”.
With reporting from David Mac Redmond and AFP
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