Irish UN peacekeeper shot dead in south Lebanon
An Irish soldier of the UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon near the Israeli border was killed and three wounded after their convoy came under fire, Irish officials said.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said he was "deeply shocked and very saddened" by the loss of life.
The UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL said the "incident" happened near the village of Al-Aqbiya, just outside the force's area of operations in a strip along Lebanon's border with Israel.
The Irish military said "a convoy of two armoured utility vehicles carrying eight personnel travelling to Beirut came under small arms fire".
It said four personnel were taken to hospital near Lebanon's main southern city of Sidon, where one was pronounced dead on arrival. Another underwent surgery and was in a serious condition while the other two were treated for minor injuries.
A Lebanese judicial source later said that the peacekeeper was killed by a bullet to the head when seven projectiles pierced the vehicle.
The three others were injured when the vehicle hit a pylon and overturned, the source added.
Witnesses said the vehicle had been blocked by villagers after it took a road along the Mediterranean coast not normally used by the UN force.
They said they had heard gunfire and the driver had appeared to lose control of the vehicle as the convoy attempted to leave the area.
It is the first time a UNIFIL member has died in a violent incident in Lebanon since January 2015.
The United Nations called for an investigation into the killing of the peacekeeper in Lebanon.
