A former Irish Army general has survived an IED attack as he tried to bring peace to a war-torn middle eastern state.
The Irish Mirror has learned that retired Defence Forces Major-General Michael Beary escaped injury when a landmine exploded under his armoured SUV in Yemen on Tuesday.
Maj-Gen Beary, 66, has been in the country since December last year – when he was appointed head of a United Nations mission to support a peace plan.
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The officer is trying to help end the brutal civil war between pro-government forces and Houthi rebels from the north that has seen more than 150,000 people killed since 2014.
Maj-Gen Beary is leading a UN mission called UNMHA to secure a ceasefire in the volatile Hudaydah governorate in the west of the country – but was himself lucky to survive yesterday’s incident.
These dramatic photographs show the aftermath of the explosion on the general’s jeep – with local media claiming the mine was planted out by anti-government Houthi rebels.
Maj-Gen Beary, who previously headed the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon where thousands of Irish soldiers have served since 1978, was said to have escaped injury in the attack.
He is head of the UNMHA mission in Yemen, which consists of soldiers, police and civilian personnel.
A UN spokesman confirmed the attack yesterday.
He said: “A convoy of UNMHA vehicles, during a mission visit to Al Hali today, was hit by what was assessed to be a landmine, damaging one of the vehicles.
“There were no injuries in the convoy.
“This incident comes as a reminder of the dangers that the people of Hudaydah face daily due to explosive remnants of war.
“UNMHA continues to call on the parties to take urgent and concrete measures to clear contaminated areas and reduce the devastating impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war on the civilian population, particularly women and children, who continue to be disproportionately affected.”
Maj-Gen Beary was one of Ireland’s best-known soldiers. As well as serving in Lebanon, he also carried out tours of duty in Somalia, Kuwait, Baghdad and Bosnia.
He holds the Distinguished Service Medal for leadership, diplomacy and devotion to duty during his appointment as Head of Mission and Force Commander in Lebanon.
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