The Lebanese army has bolstered its forces south of the Litani River as its commander Gen. Joseph Aoun discussed with the head of the peacekeeping force enhanced coordinated activities.
A statement from the military leadership said there was a reinforcement of the army’s presence along the southern border to "confront the Israeli enemy and to maintain the area’s security and stability.”
Friday’s events coincided with a meeting between Aoun and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary in south Lebanon’s Naqoura.
During his visit to the UNIFIL headquarters, Aoun discussed with the UN mission’s leadership enhanced coordinated activities between the Lebanese army and UNIFIL in the area between the Litani River and the Blue Line in south Lebanon, a statement said.
Beary welcomed the visit and the deployment of additional forces in the area of operations. He emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between UNIFIL and the Lebanese army to respond to incidents and violations effectively and in a timely manner, the statement issued by the mission said.
He also congratulated Aoun for his leadership and the Lebanese army’s achievements in the recent military campaign in the northeastern parts of the country. He offered his deepest condolences on the losses suffered.
The Lebanese army and UNIFIL are strategic partners in implementing the mandated tasks under UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and 2373 of 30 August 2017, which extended the mandate for another year.
UNIFIL and the army are working closely to further enhance coordinated efforts that have helped keep an unprecedented 11-years of stability in the area of operations.
