Irish UN troops in south Lebanon spent much of yesterday in bomb shelters during heavy mortar and artillery fire into their area of operations from pro-Israeli militia positions.
The soldiers went into "ground hog" in the shelters when heavy firing was aimed into their area from South Lebanon Army (SLA) compounds after an SLA member was killed by members of the military wing of the Hizbullah political party in south Lebanon.
From 12 noon local time, the Irish Battalion retreated into bunkers after a succession of mortar and high explosive artillery shells landed close or passed low over Irish positions. At least 12 shells impacted near Irish posts. There were a further 44 other reports of shelling nearby.
The shelling started after one SLA militiaman was killed in a compound close to Bint Jbeil just south of the Irish Battalion area and inside Israel's south Lebanon zone. He was killed by Hizbullah fighters. The incident raised to nine the number of SLA militiamen killed in south Lebanon this year, with 22 wounded.
Four other SLA militiamen were wounded in attacks which spread to Baracheet, in the Irish area, across to the western sector of the Israeli controlled zone later yesterday.
In response, an Israeli warplane attacked Yater, a village north of Israel's south Lebanon occupation zone. The air attack was Israel's seventh on south Lebanon in three days and the 51st of the year.
In Tyre, a security source said a man and a woman were wounded in Yater and a town in the Irish area, Haddata. This raised the number of civilians wounded in south Lebanon to 34 this year. Nine civilians have been killed.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian army which has served alongside the Irish Battalion in south Lebanon since the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operation began 20 years ago, may pull its peacekeeping troops out of Lebanon, its Defence Minister, Mr Dag Jostein Fjaervoll said yesterday.
Mr Fjaervoll said recruitment problems might mean it was better to withdraw Norway's 569 soldiers and officers in UNIFIL and devote more to operations in the Baltic area. The Norwegian contingent could be replaced by troops from the Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who are setting up a peace-keeping battalion with the intention of serving with the UN.
Shortages of regular troops to serve in a long-standing mission like UNIFIL has led the advanced Western countries who have contributed to the mission from the start to alter their approach to serving in the area. Norway, which provides engineering and logistical support for the mission, has reduced its commitment from a level of around 1,400 only a few years ago with the Polish army taking over some of its role. Finland, which like Ireland, has an infantry battalion in UNIFIL service has virtually removed regular soldiers from the mission and about 93 per cent of its 453-strong contingent is made of reservist soldiers. Both Government and senior Defence Forces figures have stated that future Irish Battalions could include members of the FCA.