Hezbollah on Sunday handed over to authorities a man suspected of killing an Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper earlier this month, a security official told AFP news agency on Sunday.
Soldier Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others injured on December 14 when their United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle was attacked near the village of Aaqibiyé in southern Lebanon, an Iran-backed Hezbollah stronghold .
“The main gunner is in the hands of the security forces after being handed over by Hezbollah a few hours ago,” said the security official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. Hezbollah is cooperating with the investigations of Lebanese military intelligence, the official said, adding that “preliminary investigations are almost complete”.
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UNIFIL, made up of around 10,000 peacekeepers, has been deployed since 1978 to act as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel, which are technically at war.
A Lebanese judicial source told AFP that seven bullets fired from automatic weapons pierced the vehicle, the driver of which was killed by a bullet to the head.
UNIFIL urged Beirut to quickly investigate the attack and bring those responsible to justice.
Incidents in the past had pitted Hezbollah supporters against UNIFIL patrols, but the powerful pro-Iranian formation stood out in the latest attack.
Hezbollah on Sunday handed over to authorities a man suspected of killing an Irish UNIFIL peacekeeper earlier this month, a security official told AFP on Sunday. Soldier Sean Rooney, 23, was released from their interim on December 14 United Nations Force killed and three others injured in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Vehicle was found near…