U.N.-Lebanese Army in Joint Naval Exercises

 

U.N. naval forces deployed after the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah held joint exercises with the Lebanese military off the coast of south Lebanon on Saturday.

 

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said the manoeuvres in which French and Italian units are taking part started off the town of Naqoura where UNIFIL is based, close to the border with Israel.

 

The three-day exercises are to focus on the landing of military equipment and personnel by sea.

 

“The aim of this exercise is to improve cooperation and establish coordination mechanisms between the different naval and land forces,” said the UNIFIL commander, Major General Claudio Graziano.

 

It said two ships from the French and Italian navies, the Siroco which can transport several hundred vehicles and the San Giorgio, an Italian amphibious vessel with a flight deck for helicopters, were taking part.

 

Lebanese naval units were providing logistical support and security.

 

UNIFIL was boosted — and a naval contingent added — under a U.N. Security Council ceasefire resolution which halted the July-August 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon”s Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

 

It now number about 13,000 troops, deployed to monitor the Israel-Lebanon border region and also tasked with preventing arms smuggling to Hizbullah.