At a little after 5 a.m. yesterday, Lebanese guerrillas from the Amal movement, one of several fighting to end the Israeli occupation, fired a mortar round from about 1 km from the Irish battalion position towards a position occupied by the Israel-backed SLA militia.
Within minutes the SLA fired an 81 mm mortar shell back, which landed 15 metres south of the Irish battalion position, known as 6-42. The 17 Irish troops from Galway and Mayo, most of whom were asleep at the early hour, followed standard procedures, and immediately ran for their shelters, a procedure which can usually be completed in around two minutes. But a second mortar was launched by the SLA militia within one minute, and landed in the centre of the compound.
The Israeli shell exploded on impact, sending shrapnel outwards, ripping through the buildings in the compound. After the first round they were alerted and were going for cover. The second mortar was launched almost immediately after the first.
It landed right in the middle, beside the accommodation block. Billy Kedian was dead on the scene, said a battalion source.
Medical teams were immediately sent from the Irish battalion headquarters at Camp Shamrock in the nearby village of Tibnin, and from the UNIFIL headquarters on the coast at Naqoura. Pte Kedian was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:44 a.m.
Pte Rushe was first evacuated to the United Nations hospital in Naqoura at 6:10 a.m., and from there to the Israeli hospital of Rambam in Haifa. His injuries were initially described as critical.
Pte Billy Kedian was described as a good soldier by Irish battalion: "He was a fine fellow, and highly regarded as a professional solider by his friends and the battalion," said a battalion source.
Lt Col Pat Nash, commander of the Irish battalion, said: "I knew Pte Kedian. I only spoke with him last week, and he said he was planning a holiday in Thailand. We are all very very shocked by this. On my own behalf, and on behalf of the 85th battalion, I would like to extend our sincere sympathy to his family."
Lt Col Nash said the attack was not an isolated incident: "I am extremely concerned at what is happening here in south Lebanon. There is an apparent trend of incidents targeting Irish battalion and this is most disconcerting to me. This matter will be protested at the highest possible level. On behalf of UNIFIL, and by the Irish Government."
Mr Timor Goksel, the veteran UNIFIL spokesman in southern Lebanon, said UN positions had increasingly come under fire of late. "Barasheet is a frontline village and we have several positions there," he said.
A military analyst in Beirut said low morale within Israel's proxy SLA militia was leading it to deliberately target UN peacekeepers in acts of frustration. Yesterday's attack was the third this year on an Irish position. From a military perspective, the first mortar round was a spotter, intended to allow the second to be accurately targeted. The second hit the position dead centre, so as far as I am concerned, this was a deliberate attack on the UN position, said the source.
Lebanon's prime minister, Mr Salim Hoss, expressed deep regret at the death, and blamed the incident on Israel.