MOS Defence to visit Lebanon between Sept 10-12

New Delhi, Sep 8 (UNI) On a goodwill mission to review the contribution and role of Indian troops in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju will pay a three-day visit to Lebanon from September 10-12.

The minister accompanied by Major General B V Nair, Addl DG (CW) will interact with nearly 900 personnel from India deployed in UN Peace Keeping Operations there.

This is the first visit in more than five years by a Union minister to any Indian peacekeeping mission abroad.

India, as a founder member of the United Nations, has deployed an entire infantry battalion, comprising 900 personnel, in South Lebanon and is the 3rd largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations.

In all it has taken part in 43 peacekeeping missions with more than 90,000 troops all over the world in various countries like Korea, Congo, Gaza, Somalia, Lebanon and Sudan among others.

Presently, India has deployed 8,875 personnel in UN peacekeeping operations worldwide.

The first deployment started in 1950's, when India sent troops to Korea in 1953-54.

The UN is the largest multilateral contributor to the post conflict stabilisation worldwide with more than one lakh personnel serving in 20 peace keeping operations.

UNI AN MIR CS2048