Seán Rooney: Arrest made after Irish soldier slain in Lebanon

• A minimum of one arrest has been made in Lebanon.
• The main suspect was given over by the formidable Hezbollah guerrilla group.
• Private Rooney was returned to Ireland on Monday.

A minimum of one arrest has been made in Lebanon following the death of an Irish soldier serving on a UN peacekeeping operation.

On December 14, Pvt. Seán Rooney was in an armoured UN truck that came under fire while travelling to Beirut.

According to the influential pan-Arab publication Asharq al-Awsat, several arrests were made.

According to an unnamed security source quoted by the AFP news agency, the main suspect was given over by the formidable Hezbollah guerrilla group.

“The principal shooter has been apprehended by security authorities after Hezbollah turned him over hours ago,” a source stated.

Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the shooting. It is unclear if the suspect is a member of the militant organisation.

The area where Private Rooney was killed is a bastion of the Hezbollah movement, which is supported by Iran.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the Lebanese authorities lead by a military prosecutor, and the Irish Defense Forces are conducting three different investigations into the incident.

At approximately 21:00 on 14 December, the vehicle was reportedly besieged by a mob and fired upon while travelling to Beirut.

Following a UN ceremony honouring him in Beirut the previous day, Private Rooney was returned to Ireland on Monday.

On Thursday, President Michael D. Higgins and Taoiseach (prime minister) Leo Varadkar attended the funeral service for Private Rooney in County Louth.

On Wednesday, another soldier who was severely injured in the same attack was returned to the Republic of Ireland.

Trooper Shane Kearney, who had a head injury, was transported to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin via medical aircraft from Beirut Airport to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.

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