Irish soldier killed on U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon

An Irish soldier was killed on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon late on Wednesday when a convoy of two armored utility vehicles travelling to Beirut came under small arms fire, Ireland’s defense forces said in a statement.

Another Irish member of the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is in a serious condition having undergone surgery following the incident, the statement said. Two other soldiers are being treated for minor injuries.

“It is with deep regret that Óglaigh na hÉireann (the Irish defense forces) can confirm the death of one of our peacekeepers in a serious incident in Lebanon last night,” the defense forces said, adding that a full investigation will commence.

Irish Defense Minister Simon Coveney, who is in New York for a U.N. Security Council meeting, said he will meet U.N. Secretary General António Guterres later on Thursday to discuss the incident.