THE parents and fiancee of a 29-year-old army officer are continuing a vigil at his bedside after he was critically injured by an explosion on a night-training exercise.

IRISH troops are leading a mission in Chad to protect refugee farmers returning to their land and reassure villages of their safety under the protection of EU troops.

IRISH troops came under fire from rebel groups in Chad where they are protecting refugee camps close to the Darfur border.

Some 2,700 tonnes of equipment, 100 vehicles and trailers and enough food and water for 400 people for four months will be shipped out to Chad by the Irish Defence Forces tonight.