Lebanon charges 7 people for killing of Irish peacekeeper

BEIRUT

The Lebanese military judiciary on Thursday charged seven people for killing an Irish UN peacekeeper, according to local media.

On Dec. 14, Private Sean Rooney was killed and three others wounded when their military vehicle came under fire in the Al-Aqabiya area, which is under the influence of the Hezbollah group.

Lebanese media outlets, including Al-Joumhouria newspaper and LBC, said that the government commissioner to the military court, Judge Fadi Akiki, charged seven people, including one arrested, for the attack on international forces in the south of the country.

Akiki charged the defendant with premeditated murder and attempted murder, and the six others with attempted murder, shooting menacingly and causing damage to the military vehicle.

The multinational peacekeeping force has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978. Its primary objective is to maintain security in the region and monitor a cessation-of-hostilities agreement.

Following the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon was tasked with ensuring the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for a cease-fire between warring sides and an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat