Following the death in South Lebanon of an Irish soldier and injury to two others, the United Nations protested to Israel and a formal complaint by the Government was being prepared in Dublin. It was the fifth incident in which Israeli-backed forces have attacked an Irish UN post in Lebanon this year.
Israeli army sources yesterday admitted the South Lebanon Army was responsible for the fatal mortar fire at Brashit. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, is expected to call in the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, Mr Zvi Gabay, to voice the Government's protest. In a statement, Mr Gabay yesterday expressed his country's "deep regret".
Pte William Kedian (21), from Station Road, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, who had been in the Defence Forces since December 1996, died instantly when a mortar shell exploded inside the UN observation post containing 17 Irish soldiers early yesterday. Pte Ronnie Rushe (23), from Boggadh, Co Offaly, was very seriously injured by shrapnel. He was airlifted to Rambam Hospital. He was described as being critical during the day, but after surgery was taken off the critical list and was said to be stable.
Pte Darren Clarke, from Swinford, Co Mayo, was treated in the regimental aid post at the Irish Battalion headquarters in Tibnin. He was said to be comfortable with what were described as superficial injuries.
Lebanese guerrilla forces have stepped up their activities ahead of an expected withdrawal of the Israeli-backed SLA from the Jezzine region of southern Lebanon. Irish UNIFIL officers are extremely concerned about the peacekeeping personnel being caught up in further such incidents.
By yesterday afternoon the UN had filed a complaint to Israel. The UN spokesman in Lebanon, Mr Timor Goksell, said: "We hold it [Israel] responsible for SLA militiamen. We are still waiting for the result of the investigation that the Israelis are carrying out," In Tel Aviv, the Israeli army acknowledged that a mortar round fired by its militia ally had killed Pte Kedian, the 18th Irish soldier to be killed in action in Lebanon, but offered no apology.
"An Irish UN soldier was killed and another soldier was seriously wounded as a result of SLA fire," the army statement said. The shells were fired from the compound after Hizbullah's military wing launched an attack against it, using a shoulder-held rocket launcher and assault rifles shortly before 5 a.m. local time.
The firing from the SLA compound came at 5.06 a.m. local time. Two shells landed on the perimeter of the UN post manned by 17 Irish soldiers, all from An Chead Cathlan Cois, the 85th Infantry Battalion, based in Galway.
Israel's outgoing Defence minister, Mr Moshe Arens, expressed regret over the Irish soldier's death, stressing that at the time he had no information on who fired the deadly rounds. "It's a very sad thing."
The nine-nation UNIFIL has lost 227 peacekeepers since its deployment along the edge of the Israeli-occupied border zone in southern Lebanon in 1978.
The Irish Battalion commander, Lieut Col Pat Nash, yesterday said: "Our preliminary investigations would indicate that the resistance movement [Hizbullah] attacked one of the Israeli-controlled compounds manned by their surrogate force, the South Lebanon Army, and as result of that, mortar fire was directed at the Irish position from the compound.
"One of these rounds impacted 15 metres south of our position. One impacted directly in our position and the round which impacted in the position caused the death and the injuries.
"We have carried out a full ordnance investigation, crater analysis, and the remnants of the round have Israeli markings. I am extremely concerned, I would say very perturbed at the trend that has been happening here over the last number of months. This is the fourth attack that Irish positions have had here.
"Today the resistance had attacked the surrogate force but fired from a position in excess of 1km from the Irish position and yet we took a direct hit as a result.
"I am very worried about how these people are behaving and what they are doing in this situation."
Lieut Col Nash said the whole Irish area has been "very tense" since the Israeli elections, although Brashit, where yesterday's attack took place, had been relatively quiet. He said everything possible was being done to ensure the safety of the 500 members of the Irish Battalion, who, he said, had bonded together strongly after the loss of their colleague and were helping his friends cope with the loss.
Although, no blame was being apportioned officially yesterday, it is understood the "crater analysis" of the ground struck by the mortar shell proves the shells were fired from the Israeli-held compound overlooking the town.
Ordnance officers can tell, to within a few degrees, from the shape of the impact area the direction from which a shell has been fired. In this instance, the analysis is understood to have pointed directly at the Israeli-controlled compound, manned by SLA soldiers at Brashit.