LEB TROOPS UNDER FIRE

Irish peacekeeping patrol ambushed by moped gunmen | Saved by armoured SUVs which stopped rifle bullets.

- MICHAEL O'TOOLE

AN IRISH peacekeeping patrol came under gun attack in southern Lebanon but their armoured car protected them, it has emerged.

No soldiers were injured in the attack and they all made it back safely to their base, UNP 2-45, known as Camp Shamrock.

The incident happened on Thursday evening in the town of Bint Jbeil a stronghold of Islamic group Hezbollah, whose members were involved in the December 2022 murder of Private Sean Rooney.

Sources tell us a two-vehicle Irish UNIFIL convoy was attacked by six men on three mopeds and up to five shots were fired at them from an assault rifle.

It is understood two rounds missed the target, but three of them hit one of the Irish Toyota SUVs, known as an AUV, or Armoured Utility Vehicle.

But the AUVs have special armour fitted and that stopped all the bullets.