MINES CRAFT

SOLDIERS on patrol in a €1million Mowag armoured car drove over an IED in the Glen of Imaal and the injured occupants were rescued and evacuated by their colleagues.

- BY MICHAEL O'TOOLE, Crime and Defence Editor In the GLEN OF IMAAL Pics by MICK O'NEILL

That was the scenario played out. yesterday by Irish troops on a pre-deployment exercise before heading to Lebanon in early May.

One of the areas the soldiers were practising is how to deal with unexploded bombs and other ordnance from the conflict in the area.

In a scenario witnessed by this newspaper, colleagues had to rescue the injured soldiers, give them first aid-and then evacuate the personnel.

Lt-Col McDonagh, who commands a 380-strong Irish UNIFIL battalion heading to southern Lebanon for six months in the coming weeks, said: "Obviously, in a conflict that has been as robust and violent as we have seen in Lebanon, and the amount of ordnance that has been fired by the Israelis and indeed by the Hezbollah from the Lebanese side, there are going to be the remnants of war.

"There is going to be unexploded ordnance.