<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">At least one arrest has been made in Lebanon after an Irish soldier died while on a UN peacekeeping mission.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pte Seán Rooney was in an armoured UN vehicle which came under fire while travelling to Beirut on 14 December.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several arrests were made, the influential pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to AFP news agency, quoting an unnamed security source, the prime suspect was handed over by the powerful Hezbollah militant group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The main shooter has been arrested by security forces after Hezbollah handed him over hours ago," the source said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the shooting. It is not clear whether the suspect is a member of the militant group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The village where Pte Rooney was killed is a stronghold of the Iran-backed Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Three separate investigations are being conducted into the incident by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, Lebanese authorities led by a military prosecutor and the Irish Defence Forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is understood the vehicle was surrounded by a mob and fired on while travelling to Beirut at about 21:00 on 14 December.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Pte Rooney was repatriated to Ireland last Monday following a UN ceremony to honour him in Beirut the previous day.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Irish President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar were among mourners present at Pte Rooney's funeral service in County Louth on Thursday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another soldier who was seriously injured in the same attack was returned home to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trooper Shane Kearney, who suffered a head injury, was flown by a medical aircraft from Beirut Airport to Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, then taken to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>