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.