Defence Forces' medal parade interrupted by shelling in southern Lebanon

UNIFIL spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel said: 'UNIFIL remains deeply concerned about the exchanges of fire happening across the Blue Line, including close to UN positions, multiple times each day.' Picture: AP

This is the moment shells started falling on villages near one of the two camps where Defence Forces soldiers are on peace-keeping duty in southern Lebanon.

As a senior officer can be heard issuing orders at the assembled men and women of the 123rd Infantry Battalion on St Patrick’s Day, a video pans across to nearby villages and a large explosion can be seen in the background.

Loud orchestral music can then be heard playing through speakers at the flat piece of ground that is also used to land helicopters at what is known as Camp Shamrock as smoke from another blast can be seen billowing in the distance.

It is not clear who shot the video but it helps illustrate how close some explosions have been to the base since Israel invaded Gaza — and started attacking targets in Lebanon — in retaliation for Hamas’ October 2023 attacks.

The Irish contingent serving with United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at the camp and a post nearer the border with Israel along what is known as the Blue Line currently number 334. This is the first time on overseas duty for 86 of them.

Led by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Mac Eoin, they come from Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny, Kildare, and Wexford.

Most of the battalion, which arrived last November, were attending what is known as “a medal parade” to recognize the contributions of peacekeepers.

UNIFIL spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel said: “UNIFIL remains deeply concerned about the exchanges of fire happening across the Blue Line, including close to UN positions, multiple times each day.

“As during any activity, peacekeepers continuously monitored the security situation and were ready to react in case it deteriorated.

“During the medal parade, some impacts occurred about 4-5 kilometres away, in another battalion’s area of operations.

“The force protection procedures in place would have been activated if there were any danger to attendees, which included local officials from surrounding Lebanese villages. 

The exchanges of fire have already claimed too many lives and caused too much destruction on both sides of the Blue Line.

Up until December 2022, 46 Irish Defence Forces personnel had died serving with UNIFIL, 15 of whom died in the line of fire.

The 47th victim was Private Seán Rooney. The 23-year-old was shot dead as he drove an armoured jeep away from a crowd of attackers in the south of the country.

While two colleagues escaped unharmed, a third — Cork-based Trooper Shane Kearney — was badly wounded when the jeep crashed after the attack.