Chief of Staff of the armed forces Lieutenant General Seán Clancy has said that the death of an Irish peacekeeper in Lebanon “deeply wounds us all” and it was a pain felt deeply by all of Óglaigh na hÉireann.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Lt Gen Clancy said that the three injured soldiers had been moved from Raee Hospital, near Sidon, around 43km from Beirut to a UN controlled hospital in Hamud. One soldier remains in critical condition while two others are now in good condition, he said.
Defence Forces personnel remain with the body of their fallen colleague in Raee hospital, and will remain with the deceased at all times until the remains are repatriated.
Investigation
The investigation into the incident will be multifaceted and involve UN command, Lebanese forces and there will also be an investigation by Irish forces.
Serving one’s country came with an inherent risk, said Lt Gen Clancy. Ireland had operated in Lebanon for many decades and while it had been 20 years since there had been an Irish fatality, it was still too soon.
The Irish forces involved in the ambush were members of the 121st Battalion who commenced their tour of duty in November. Lt Gen Clancy said he had spoken with the team there who were all safe and accounted for and were resolute that they will complete their mission.
The Chief of Staff said that not only did he admire the sense of duty of the serving personnel but also their family and friends, partners and children who enabled them to serve.
Pdforra general secretary Gerard Guinan has spoken of the supports which will be put in place for the families of the deceased soldier and the soldiers injured during the attack in Lebanon.
Mr Guinan told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that every resource will be made available and everything that needs to be done will be done. “Pdforra will not be found wanting.”
We will put our arms around the famillies.
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News of the incident had been shocking and very sad and the entire Defence Forces community was in mourning “for one of our own".
Unfortunately this was not the first time there had been a death in the forces while on UN peacekeeping duty. To date there had been 47 such deaths he said and there were procedures in place. “We will put our arms around the families.”
Former army ranger Kildare TD Cathal Berry told the same programme that there were counsellors and psychiatrists in place and there was a very good ‘peer to peer’ support network.
Dr Berry said he did not want to unduly concern the families of serving forces, but it was known that the situation in Lebanon was very volatile, and the Irish forces had a vital role to play in keeping peace in the region.
The incident had occurred during a compassionate mission, he said which added to the poignancy of the situation.
Military police from the UN and Irish forces were on site today conducting investigations into the incident.
