Soldier's body due to return from East Timor

Preparations are being made to bring the body of the Irish soldier killed in East Timor back to his native Galway.

President Mary McAleese last night paid tribute to the commitment and dedication of 21-year-old Private Peadar Flaherty.

In a statement, the President said his death was a tragedy for both his family and his colleagues based in East Timor.

Private Flaherty died on Sunday after a round came from another soldier’s rifle within the Irish patrol along the border with Indonesia.

He was airlifted from the scene and taken to a nearby field hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Private Flaherty’s body is due to be flown to the Dili airport from the border region. There will be a funeral ceremony at the airport before the body is returned to Ireland.

There are 42 Irish soldiers serving in East Timor as part of the 5,000 strong UN peacekeeping force.

Private Flaherty arrived in East Timor in February. This was his second deployment as a UN peacekeeper, having previously served in Lebanon.

The United Nations has been overseeing the region since it voted overwhelmingly to break free from Indonesia in August 1999.