Defence Forces Confirm Military Convoy From Cork to Kildare Is UNIFIL Training Exercise
Defence Forces confirm a military convoy travelling from Cork to the Curragh today is a UNIFIL training exercise, not related to fuel protests.
The Defence Forces have issued a public notice confirming that a convoy of MOWAG Armoured Personnel Carriers travelling from Cork City to the Curragh Camp in Co Kildare today is a scheduled training exercise and is not related to the ongoing fuel protests.
Óglaigh na hÉireann said the convoy involves the 128th Infantry Battalion conducting mission readiness exercises ahead of deployment to the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in Southern Lebanon next month.
The Defence Forces described the exercises as "critical activities to train and prepare our personnel for conducting duties in Southern Lebanon."
The notice comes after images of military vehicles circulated widely on social media in recent days, leading to public confusion about whether the Defence Forces were being deployed to remove protesters from fuel depots. The Defence Forces issued a similar clarification on Thursday in relation to an earlier convoy.
The Defence Forces remain on standby to assist An Garda Síochána at protest sites if required, but today's convoy is confirmed as a separate, pre-planned military exercise.