Lebanon to deploy additional unit to south

French Ambassador to Lebanon Denis Pietton Monday said Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri informed him that an additional unit of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will be deployed to southern Lebanon starting from Monday.

Pietton said after meeting with Hariri that "such a decision is a positive development that will be appreciated by states taking part in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)," according to a statement issued by Hariri's office.

The decision came after several conflicts in the Shiite- inhabited southern Lebanon between the UNIFIL and the villagers.

A series of anti-UNIFIL protests began on June 29 in Toulin, where villagers blocked roads and threw stones at French peacekeepers before disarming them. One peacekeepers was slightly injured in the protest.

The UNIFIL spokesperson Neeraj Singh earlier asked all parties in Lebanon to insure the safety of peacekeepers.

It is worth mentioning that reconciliation meetings were held between LAF and UNIFIL officers and residents in the southern village of Toulin to defuse tension.

Source: Xinhua