Promise Justice For The United Nations Forces Of The Origin Of Dead Ireland, The Provisional Prime Minister Of Lebanon: Anyone Who Is Proven To Be Punished

JAKARTA - Lebanon is determined to reveal circumstances that led to the killing of the Irish UN peacekeeping force, interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati said during a visit to the mission headquarters of UN troops for Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday.

Soldier Sean Rooney, 23, was killed by bullets in the head, while three other soldiers were injured when their convoy was attacked by an unidentified assailant in the southern village of Al Aqbieh on Wednesday, as they traveled to Beirut.

The other three injured soldiers were in hospital, but were in stable condition, said a UNIFIL representative.

"The investigations needed are ongoing to uncover the state of the incident to avoid it happening again in the future," Mikati said at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.

"Anyone who is found guilty will be punished," he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Irish United Nations peacekeepers said, "the convoy of two armored vehicles carrying eight personnel traveling to Beirut was attacked by minor weapons".

The vehicle was "run around by hostile masses", Irish Defense Minister Simon Coveney said.

Caretaker Prime Minister @Najib_Mikati and @LebarmyOfficial Commander General Joseph Aoun paid condolences to Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro this morning. @aroldo_lazaro's full statement in the thread below: pic.twitter.com/LWoSNtiAfU

— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) December 16, 2022

UNIFIL said on Thursday details of what happened "details are vague and conflicting" and it is coordinating investigations with the Lebanese Armed Forces to determine exactly what happened.

"The peacekeepers made a mistake and they escaped the other convoy," said UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti.

"As the investigation is ongoing, we cannot comment further on the circumstances surrounding the incident."

He said Lebanese authorities coordinated with UNIFIL and handled the matter "very seriously".

"This is an international crime: we call for a quick investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice," he said.

"But we don't have a deadline to finalize the report: priority for now is gathering information".

Meanwhile, Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and a prominent political party that has a major presence in Al Aqbieh and in many parts of the country, on Thursday denied its involvement in the killing of the army.

More than 300 soldiers on duty at UNIFIL have lost their lives since their mandate began in 1978 to maintain peace, following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

The last incident occurred in 2007, when six international peacekeepers were hit by a bomb blast in southern Lebanon.

But, this is this kind of first attack, according to Mr Tenenti. "UNIFIL usually has good relations with local residents despite sporadic incidents: this is an unprecedented event," he said.