Following the announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants that Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bou Habib had communicated to discuss the incident involving the Irish battalion of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, “Al Markazia” was informed that the battalion is not Irish, but consists of UNIFIL members of Finnish nationality.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants regrets the event that happened with the Irish battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants said in a statement.
In the meanwhile, the ministry reiterates that no kind of assault against UNIFIL is tolerated, and emphasizes the safety and security of UNIFIL’s troops and processes.
“While the ministry expresses regret for the scenes reported on social media, and reiterates its concern for the safety of UNIFIL, particularly the Irish battalion, which has been in service in southern Lebanon since UNIFIL’s inception and continues to play an important role in maintaining the security and stability of southern Lebanon,” the statement added.