Irish soldier killed in Lebanon named as 23-year-old who lived in Newtown

Private Sean Rooney, who lived in Newtowncunningham, has been named as the Irish soldier killed in Lebanon.

The 23-year-old, who served with the 27th Infantry Battalion based in Dundalk, was killed on Wednesday night.

A native of Dundalk, he lived in Newtown, and is a former student of St Eunan's College in Letterkenny.

After leaving St Eunan's, he joined the Defence Forces in 2019 and was in Lebanon with members of 121st Infantry Battalion, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon).

He was travelling as part of a convoy of two armoured utility vehicles in the Al-Aqbieh area, just outside the group’s area of operations.

The vehicles, which were travelling to Beirut, were surrounded and came under fire after entering an area controlled by Hezbollah.

One AUV escaped, but the other overturned.

Two soldiers suffered bullet wounds in the attack with Private Rooney fatally injured.

Two other soldiers are being treated for minor injuries.

“It is with deep regret that Óglaigh na hÉireann can confirm the death of one of our peacekeepers in a serious incident in Lebanon last night,” a statement said.

The incident happened at around 9.15pm on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, the Chief of Staff of Óglaigh na hÉireann, said: “We in Óglaigh na hÉireann are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of this tragic event and the loss of one of our peacekeepers.

“Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his fellow peacekeepers from the 121st Infantry Battalion.

“Our thoughts are also with those who were injured last night and their families and friends. We have one of our medical officers currently at Raee Hospital and we will ensure that our personnel get the best possible care.

“Our focus now is to ensure the safety and continued support for all our personnel deployed in Lebanon.”