UNIFIL, Lebanese army hold joint drill

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has reportedly held “a joint live-fire exercise” with Lebanese military forces in the southern border city of Naqoura.

A UNIFIL statement said that the artillery drill, dubbed “Neptune Thunder,” was carried out on Friday.

“This combined exercise is directed at improving the skills and expertise of the battle groups, to maintain their efficiency and mutual knowledge,” Lebanon’s Naharnet website quoted UNIFIL as saying.

UNIFIL, which was set up in 1978 to monitor the border between Israel and southern Lebanon, added that “the battle group fired several rounds of artillery at targets located off the coastline” during the military exercise.

The UNIFIL was given a wider role after the 2006 war Israel waged against the country that killed about 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians.

On August 30, the UN Security Council decided to expand the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon for another year without modifying its rules of engagement.