According to a judicial official who spoke to AFP, five members of Hezbollah have been charged with “voluntary homicide” by the military investigating judge in connection with the murder of a UN peacekeeper last December near the village of Al-Aaqibiye in Southern Lebanon.
The indictment, which was made public on Thursday, held these five men accountable for the murder of Irish soldier Seán Rooney and refered them to the military court for trial. The 30-page document describes the individuals as having “formed a gang of criminals and implemented a criminal project.”
In accordance with the Lebanese Penal Code, the indictment seeks the death penalty for detainee Mohammad Ayyad and the four remaining fugitive defendants.
The indictment is supported by surveillance camera footage near the site of the attack, which clearly shows armed men attacking the patrol from all sides. The document reveals that during the attack, some of the assailants were heard saying, “We are from Hezbollah,” and communicating with each other using walkie-talkies, suggesting coordination with remote individuals overseeing the operation.
In January, seven individuals were indicted for charges including “issuing threats with an illegal weapon, destroying a UNIFIL vehicle, and intimidating its passengers.”
On December 14, 2022, Seán Rooney, a 23-year-old soldier from the Irish contingent of UNIFIL, was killed and three others were injured near the village of Al-Aaqibiya, South of Saida, where the Hezbollah are expected to have a high presence. According to previous information from Ici Beyrouth, the Irish soldiers were part of a convoy traveling to Beirut Airport for the end-of-year holidays.
Allegedly, a car deviated onto a parallel road leading to Al-Aaqibiya, where armed residents intercepted the vehicle. These residents accused UNIFIL of deviating from the usual route, which provoked their anger and resulted in the attack on the convoy.
According to AFP reports, seven bullets struck the UN vehicle, and the Irish driver was fatally shot in the head. In an attempt to retreat, the peacekeepers fired warning shots before the vehicle overturned and collided with a pylon.
A judicial source confirmed to AFP that the driver was instantly killed by a gunshot to the head.
Approximately ten days later, a man suspected of being the “main” perpetrator of the attack was handed over to the authorities by the pro-Iranian group involved.
