According to the Irish Defense Forces, the convoy of two armored vehicles was near the port city of Sidon in the direction of Beirut on Wednesday evening. The eight prisoners there came under fire, the Irish armed forces tweeted on Thursday. According to Unifil, three other peacekeepers were injured. The UN mission announced an investigation and collusion with the Lebanese Forces.
The Unifil blue helmets have been guarding the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. The two countries are officially at war. There is always tension at the border. In particular, the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah, which is closely allied to Iran and controls large parts of southern Lebanon, sees Israel as a mortal enemy.
According to Unifil, the convoy was “just outside” the mission’s usual area of operations. Villagers intercepted him there, which led to a collision, the German news agency learned from Lebanese security circles on Thursday. Supporters of Hezbollah live in the area, as well as militia guards who walk around in civilian clothes.
“We are all deeply shocked and deeply saddened that one of our peacekeepers has died in Lebanon,” Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin said at the EU summit in Brussels. He announced investigations from the Irish and Lebanese sides.
As part of its mission, Unifil will also monitor the coast of Lebanon and stop arms smuggling. According to Israel, Hezbollah has numerous weapons caches containing ammunition, rockets and explosives in southern Lebanon.
Just over 10,000 UN soldiers from more than 40 countries are currently involved in the mission, including Germany with up to 300 soldiers. Since 1978, Unifil has counted more than 300 deadly missions.
(SDA)