Seven suspects charged over Seán Rooney murder

Seven people have been charged in Lebanon over the death of Private Seán Rooney.

Three of the men arrested are now believed to be in the custody of Lebanese authorities, with a manhunt underway to track down the other four.

A Lebanese military tribunal, under military judge Fadi Akiki, charged the seven suspects.

A brief statement said that the case had been passed to the 'appropriate judiciary'.

Private Rooney, a 24-year-old peacekeeper, was killed last month when the vehicle he was driving came under fire.

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Private Rooney was killed by a gunshot and three of his colleagues, who were in the armoured utility vehicle (AUV), including Trooper Shane Kearney, who has been flown home and is undergoing medical treatment at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Lebanon officials are attempting to figure out whether the remaining suspects are still in the country.

The charges proffered on the accused men include murder, attempted murder and damaging vehicles.

One man was in custody since late December after being handed over by Hezbollah.

While the Iranian-linked Shia militia group has denied involvement, the suspects are believed to be supporters.

If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty.

Private Rooney, a Dundalk native who lived in Newtowncunningham, was driving a UN-marked armoured utility vehicle, which came under attack in the Al-Aqbieh area of south Lebanon after becoming separated from an accompanying vehicle.

Private Rooney was serving with the 121st Infantry Battalion of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Private Rooney, described by his mother Natasha McCloskey as a 'national hero', was buried with full military honours in Newtowncunningham on December 22.