U.N. soldiers firm in face of death threats

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 8

U.N. soldiers firm in face of death threats

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv Irish soldiers of the United fattens peace-keeping force ere standing -firm in the Southern Lebanese village of M-Tiri yesterday, despite threats to kill two of them in Eenge for K week-end shes, according to a ited. Nations spokesman. The spokesman said the Villagers had asked the Irish troops to remain in their K sitions to protect them >m Right-wing Lebanese hilitia. ’

: Earlier, militia sources said (he Irish troops had puueu l

| out of Al-Tiri, where two civilians, a militiaman, and a Fijian United Nations soldier (were killed on Saturday. A week ago the Rightwing militia, commanded by Major Saad Haddad, tried to wrest control of Al-Tiri from the United Nations troops. The same day, five Palestinian guerrillas raided an ; Israeli border village. Three Israelis and the guerrillas were killed.

On Saturday, the confrontation between the Right-1 wing militia and the Irish United Nations contingent!

erupted into a gunfight as some 50 civilians were holding a demonstration. The militia were driven out of the village, but not before two demonstrators were ' killed and seven wounded. The situation remained tense, with Major Haddad • calling for the withdrawal of the Irish. Militia sources told NZPAReuter yesterday of a meeting between the families of Saturday’s civilian, victims and heads of the Shi-ite Muslim community. 1