Irish troops play role in ex-warlord’s capture

ELITE Irish troops with the UN were involved in the capture and detention yesterday of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, while he was trying to flee from Nigeria.

Members of the Defence Forces 94th Infantry Battalion Quick Reaction Force serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) escorted Taylor from the capital Monrovia to the UN Special Court in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he is wanted for war crimes.

More than 100 Irish troops provided a robust security presence during the operation, a spokesperson for the defence forces said.