Body of Private Seán Rooney to be flown home to Ireland today
The body of a soldier who was killed while on UN peacekeeping duty in Lebanon will be flown back to Ireland on Sunday.
Private Seán Rooney's remains will be brought home by the Irish Air Corps CASA aircraft, departing Beirut at 4pm local time (2pm Irish time).
The Irish Examiner reports that there will be a solemn UN ceremony held to honour Pte Rooney in Beirut Airport prior to departure, following which his body will be flown to Casement Aerodrome.
His remains will be reunited with his family on Monday.
Pte Rooney (24) was involved in a "serious incident" on Wednesday night when a two-vehicle convoy carrying members of the 121st Infantry Battalion — United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, or UNIFIL — came under "small arms fire" in al-Aqbieh, southern Lebanon.
Following the incident, Pte Rooney and three other soldiers were brought to a hospital near Sidon. The young peacekeeper was pronounced dead on arrival.
Pte Shane Kearney (23), from Co Cork, suffered serious injuries in the attack. Two other soldiers who received minor injuries in the ambush have since been released from hospital.
Pte Rooney joined the Defence Forces in March 2019 and previously served overseas with the 119th Infantry Battalion UNIFIL.
