Five members of the Hezbollah group have been accused by a military judge, one of whom is currently in custody, in connection with the killing of an Irish UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeper.
Private Sean Rooney lost his life on 14 December, while three others were injured during an attack on their UN vehicle near the village of Al-Aqbiya in southern Lebanon, an area known as a Hezbollah stronghold.
The investigating judge, Fadi Sawan, has issued a 30-page indictment alleging that the Hezbollah members formed a criminal group and committed intentional homicide.
One of the accused, Mohammad Ayyad, is currently in custody, having been handed over to the army by Hezbollah in December.
Hezbollah has repeatedly denied any involvement in the incident, with its security chief describing the killing as unintentional.
In January, Lebanon had charged seven individuals, including Ayyad, for their participation in the attack. Additionally, six fugitives were charged with threatening behavior, illegal weapon possession, destruction of the UNIFIL vehicle, and intimidation of its passengers.
Incidents between Hezbollah supporters and UNIFIL patrols have occurred in the past but have rarely escalated. UNIFIL, composed of approximately 10,000 peacekeepers, has been stationed since 1978 as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel, which technically remain in a state of war.
