Lebanon releases on bail Hezbollah man charged with killing Irish UNIFIL soldier

Lebanon’s military tribunal released a man accused of killing an Irish United Nations peacekeeper almost a year ago on bail, security and judicial officials say.

In June, Lebanon’s military tribunal charged Mohamad Ayyad and four others with the killing of Pvt. Seán Rooney, 24, of Newtown Cunningham, Ireland, following a half-year probe. Rooney was killed on December 14, 2022. Ayyad was detained in December 2022.

The four others facing charges — Ali Khalifeh, Ali Salman, Hussein Salman, and Mustafa Salman — remain at large. All five are allegedly linked with Hezbollah. Hezbollah has repeatedly denied any role in the killing. Hezbollah representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti says he is aware of reports about Ayyad’s release due to his “deteriorating health” and that UNIFIL is “working to confirm this information with the military court.”