Lebanese man to stand trial for soldiers’ killing in 1980

A Lebanese man who is suspected of murdering two Irish soldiers who were serving with the United Nations 34 years ago has been deported from the US.

Ice cream seller Mahmoud Bazzi, 71, was returned to his homeland where he could ultimately stand trial for the abduction, torture and killing of the peacekeepers while serving with a Christian militia.

Privates Derek Smallhorne, 31 at the time and from Dublin, and Thomas Barrett, 30 and from Cork, were on duty with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) near the Israeli border on April 18, 1980 when they were captured.