The Irish peacekeeping presence in south Lebanon will be boosted to its highest ever level this week as a further contingent of engineers flies out to help build United Nations observation posts along the border with Israel.
Irish UN sources report that there has not been a single shooting incident in the Irish Battalion area since the Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanon on May 24th.
This is in stark contrast to the level of artillery fire in the area prior to this. On the morning of May 24th alone there were 112 shooting reports in the Irish area.
Since the Israeli withdrawal the Irish Battalion is reported to be working flat out patrolling a much enlarged area of operations up to the Israeli border.
To assist in the extra patrolling an additional 50 armoured car drivers and crew flew out to the area last month.
By the end of this week the Irish Battalion strength in south Lebanon will be 630 as 50 engineers begin work consolidating positions which have been established by Irish troops in the past week.
The battalion has set up temporary posts in the village of Yaroun on the Israel-Lebanon border and two others, one in the town of Ayt Arun about three kilometres from the border and a third on the road south from Ayt Arun, about 300 metres from the border.
The Yaroun post was established on July 28th when a contingent of Irish troops travelled to the coastal border crossing and was then escorted through northern Israel to the former Israeli Defence Forces position at Yaroun which is inside Lebanon.
It had been decided it was safer to approach the position through Israel, as there is an extensive minefield on the Lebanon side. After the position was established the area was swept for mines and a roadway was created through the Lebanese side.
It is the first time the position has been approached from the Lebanese side for two decades.
The Irish position in Art Arun is in a house commandeered by the UN. The post outside the town overlooks a broad stretch of the border.
Irish UN sources said they are satisfied at the progress so far in establishing the new positions.
As these positions are established the battalion is beginning to abandon posts in its former area of operations.
These include a checkpoint east of its battalion headquarters in the town of Tibnin and another in the town of Shaqra.
It is also expected it will soon abandon the company headquarters at Haddata.
As the battalion abandons posts, some will be handed over to the Lebanese army or police. It is expected that so long as peace holds the Irish Battalion headquarters will be handed over to the Lebanese army, possibly within the coming year.
UN peacekeepers must consult the Lebanese authorities before carrying out any further deployment along the border with Israel and elsewhere in the south, a government official said yesterday.
--(Reuters)