Lebanese troops deploy in more areas of the south as UN clears unexploded ordnance

Lebanese troops deployed further south today, occupying some areas for the first time in decades, as Israeli troops continued their withdrawal and United Nations teams worked to rid the countryside of the masses of unexploded ordnance from the recent conflict.

“Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) withdrew yesterday from several areas in southern Lebanon... The Lebanese army is to deploy to the areas that were vacated by the Israelis today [and] earlier the Lebanese army moved into the southern town of Bint Jbeil for the first time in three decades,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which is helping coordinate the movement of Israeli and Lebanese forces in the south, also held another meeting yesterday with the two sides to discuss the latest developments on the ground, he added.

Continuing its work to clear the area of the masses of unexploded ordnance, mostly made up of cluster bomblets, which litter the countryside, UNIFIL said today that a de-mining team from its Chinese contingent had disposed of over 1,260 pieces during the past week.

Also on the humanitarian front, UNIFIL is continuing efforts to counter the chronic shortage of clean water in the south, with the Indian and Ghanaian battalions distributing 100,000 litres to the villages of El Khiyam, At Tayyabah, Kafr Kila, Tibnin and Haddathah during the past 24 hours. In addition, UNIFIL contingents treated 227 people in need of medical care and the Indian battalion provided veterinary assistance to 504 animals.

UNIFIL also said today that over the past 24 hours there had been eight Israeli air violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement.