Irish troops assigned to Lebanon ‘hotspot’

THE commander of UN peacekeeping troops in Lebanon said Irish soldiers have been given one of the country’s most dangerous “hotspots”, close to the contentious border with Israel.

Troops serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) need to be vigilant, as incidents could flare up quickly, according to force commander Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas.

The Defence Force’s 440-strong mission is patrolling the southern part of Lebanon, overseeing security on the ‘blue line’ boundary with Israel.

Irish troops have returned to the region in recent weeks, having served with Unifil since 1978.

Speaking at Unifil’s HQ in Naqoura, just a few miles from the contested divide with Israel, Gen Asarta said: “The Irish battalion has taken a difficult part of our area of operations. They will have a lot of work to do in this area.

“They have some hot spots and sensitive villages to take care [of] and to maintain stability in this area.”

Irish troops are patrolling a 140km sq area in the south, where Islamist militants Hezbollah and Lebanese troops have fought the Israelis.

“We have always threats before and now. The proof was a terrorist criminal attack last May against our Italian patrol. In this country, the situation can change in 24 hours,” the commander of the total 12,000-strong UN mission said.

That attack with a roadside bomb left several UN troops injured while driving south, a route the Irish are now regularly travelling.

“There are always threats. We have taken the necessary security measures to mitigate this threat. That 100% of security you will never get, neither here or in your country or my country.”

Israel claims there is an arsenal of thousands of rockets being stored underground by Hezbollah and other militants in south Lebanon.

Gen Asarta said UN troops had found no arms caches during their monthly 10,000 operations on the ground.

With the Arab Spring revolution in neighbouring countries, the death of Osama Bin Laden and problems in Syria, the situation could change, the commander said, adding: “Incidents on the blue line can escalate in a big, big fire.”

A monthly Mass was last night held in Tibnin for the 47 Irish troops who lost their lives while serving in Lebanon.

At Camp Shamrock, troops run quick reaction force drills and are manning two posts further south close to mine fields.

But conflict can erupt at any time, as happened last year when Israeli troops uprooted a tree and a resulting clash with Lebanese left four dead.

The Irish mission will be here for another four years and is the largest contingent abroad since the Defence Forces withdrew from Chad a year ago.