Army Commander General Joseph Aoun visited the Irish-Polish Battalion headquarters in the town of Tayr, within the Bint Jbeil district. During the visit, he honored the four Irish soldiers whose vehicle was fired upon in the town of Al-Aqbiya on December 14, 2022, resulting in the martyrdom of soldier Sean Cormac Rooney and injuries to his three companions.
The honoring ceremony was attended by the Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lazaro, the Commander of the Western Sector of UNIFIL, Brigadier General Giuseppe Bertoncello, and the leaders and soldiers of the Irish-Polish Battalion, as well as army unit commanders deployed in the south.
After a detachment of battalion soldiers performed honors, the Army Commander laid a wreath at the battalion's memorial for the martyrs and stood with the attendees for a minute of silence, followed by writing a message in the condolence book.
In his speech, he stated: "The Irish-Polish Battalion has a long history of service within UNIFIL since 1978, during which it has lost 48 of its members. I salute the battalion's elements, the heroic peacekeepers, who are away from their homelands and families to maintain peace in Lebanon and support the people of the south." General Aoun praised the sacrifices of UNIFIL units that work closely with the Lebanese Army to sustain security and stability in the south.
General Aoun concluded by reiterating the commitment to continue the cooperation between the Army and UNIFIL as a key strategic partner in the implementation of Resolution 1701.
On another note, Major General Lazaro thanked the Army, represented by General Aoun, for its solidarity with UNIFIL, emphasizing "the continuation of its mission with full professionalism under the framework of Resolution 1701 in coordination with the Lebanese Army," appreciating the Army's efforts regarding the investigation into the incident.
In conclusion, General Aoun awarded the Irish-Polish Battalion Commander the Wounded Medal for each of the three injured soldiers, as a token of loyalty and appreciation for their service and sacrifices within the framework of their peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.
