THE FIRST rotation of Irish United Nations troops in south Lebanon went ahead safely last night despite the continued bombardment of the area. It was the 13th day of Israel's Operation Grapes of Wrath which has left 159 people, mostly civilians, dead in Lebanon and driven thousands from their homes.
On a day when most attention was again focused on US and French attempts to secure a ceasefire, the US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, left the Syrian capital, Damascus, after failing to have scheduled talks with President Hafez al Assad. However, Mr Christopher will return to meet Mr Assad today after what a White House spokesman described was merely a "scheduling problem".
Syria is seen as a key power broker in Lebanon, where it deploys 35,000 troops.
While the US representative appeared to be the victim of a Syrian snub, the French Foreign Minister, Mr Herve de Charette, returned to Damascus yesterday for talks with his Syrian counterpart, Mr Yossi Beilin.
Mr de Charette earlier rejected Israeli complaints that the French ceasefire proposals were competing with and complicating Mr Christopher's mission. He said: "The two plans converge. We are working together."
As the Israeli bombardment and Hizbullah rocket attacks continued, 200 Irish soldiers from the 78th battalion, who have withstood almost two weeks ink the centre of the conflict, arrived home last night in Dublin. Theirs replacements, 200 soldiers from the 79th battalion, arrived here safely at about 9 p.m. Irish time.
The convoys oat United Nations troops passed along the coastal highway in Lebanon which was, shelled by Israeli gun boats during the day.
The Irish battalion information officer, Comdt Billy Harrington, said last night the day had been a relatively quiet one, fortunately enough, because of the logistical problems of rotating the troops.
However, as he was speaking, shelling was taking place from Israeli held areas south of the Irish battalion, the shells landed several kilometres from the camp.
Comdt Harrington said there had been two shelling warnings from the Israeli forces during the day, both in the eastern part of the battalion's area of operations. Kaytusha rockets were fired by the Islamic resistance fighters at Israeli positions.
Also yesterday the Islamic resistance attacked a position held by the Israel backed South Lebanon Army (SLA). The SLA, replied by firing eight artillery rounds which struck a school in the village of Haddatah in the Irish area. The school was deserted although people had been sheltering in a bunker nearby. No one was thought to have been injured.
Also in the Irish area an Israeli airforce Cobra helicopter fired two missiles at a car outside the village of Shaqra. It is believed the occupants were killed.
Shaqra, which has been bombed and shelled throughout the last two weeks by the Israelis, was also hit again yesterday.
Hundreds of people are sheltering in the hospital in Tibnin near the Irish headquarters but most of the local population has fled northwards away from the Israeli shelling and bombing.