UNIFIL-Army Maneuvers to “Improve Skills and Expertise”
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and the Lebanese army conducted on Thursday a live fire exercise 1 km south of the UNIFIL headquarters in the coastal town of Naqoura.
The maneuvers were conducted by UNIFIL”s Field Artillery Group of the Quick Reaction Force with the Lebanese army”s 115th Artillery Battalion and 62nd Infantry Battalion.
UNIFIL said in a statement that the joint exercise was aimed at improving the skills and expertise of peacekeepers and Lebanese army battle groups, to maintain their efficiency and mutual knowledge.
During the exercise, the groups fired several rounds of artillery at targets located off the coastline. The maneuvers also included direct fire using machine-guns.
The common shelling exercise is the fifth of its kind. The first such joint exercise was conducted by UNIFIL and the army in December 2008.