UN vehicle carrying Irish troops damaged in strike

The vehicle belonged to the United Nations Interim Task Force in Lebanon

A United Nations (UN) patrol vehicle with six Irish soldiers on board was caught up in an air attack in a village in south Lebanon on Saturday.

Eight troops, including six Irish and two Polish, were on an armed patrol when there was a drone or air attack on a village.

Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin said none of the soldiers were injured in the attack, but damage was caused to the vehicle in which they were travelling.

Speaking in Dublin on Sunday, Mr Martin said the incident is still under investigation.

'An explosive blast'

In a statement, the Defence Forces said the attack happened at about 20:00 local time.

It explained the two-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," it said.

There were no casualties, and both vehicles and all personnel recovered to the Irish position of UNP 245."

It said that the124th Infantry Battalion will "continue to conduct framework operations and remain the eyes and ears in South Lebanon for the international community".

Providing details of the incident, Mr Martin said: "Essentially about eight soldiers, two armoured vehicles, six Irish and two Polish, they were on routine patrol and there was an attack, either drone or airstrike on the village that they were patrolling through.

"They had come out, it seems, from the other end of the village. And shrapnel or whatever appears to have pierced the vehicles."

'A serious incident'

Mr Martin said: "We have ideas as to who would have made that particular attack but I would say at this stage, we will be making representations on foot of this, on the basis that both the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) and Hezbollah must fulfil their obligations to peacekeepers."

There have been almost daily exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border since the day after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on 7 October.

Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Palestinian group that is also backed by Iran.

Both groups are proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.

The Tánaiste said there are "thousands of peacekeepers in Lebanon to keep the peace".

"It's the most noble, objective thing to do and we take the full protection of our soldiers very seriously," he said.

Mr Martin said he will receive further information later on Sunday about the incident.

"It is a serious incident and one I am very concerned about," he said.

"It illustrates the danger of a wider escalation of the war to Lebanon in terms of the danger to peacekeepers and the civil population in Lebanon," Mr Martin added.

"And it's matter of greatest concern."