United Nations Interim Force Lebanon
May 1978 to Date
Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978, UNIFIL was established to supervise the withdrawal of Israeli forces and restore peace and security to the area. Since then the Defence Forces had an infantry battalion (approx. strength 540 personnel) in Lebanon, which rotated every six months plus almost 100 others in UNIFIL headquarters and the Force Mobile Reserve until November 2001.
The battalion's headquarters was located in Tibnin and it was responsible for an area of approx. 100 square kilometres. It performed its duties mainly by providing a presence in the area, by operating patrols, checkpoints and manning observation posts. The battalion also rendered humanitarian assistance to the local population including aiding the local orphanage in Tibnin.
The presence of the Irish battalion in South Lebanon undoubtedly helped to restore certain normality to the area, as evidenced by the increase in population and economic activity in the region.
After the withdrawal of Israeli troops from South Lebanon and the completion of its mandate with UNIFIL, the Defence Forces withdrew from the Area of Operations leaving behind 11 Defence Forces personnel in Lebanon to oversee the handover of the mission to Ghana battalion.
A total of 47 Defence Forces personnel lost their lives during the first 23 years of this mission in which personnel contributed over 32,000 individual tours of duty.
Following a return to intense conflict on the Israel/Lebanon border in June/July 2006, in response to a request from the UN in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of August 2006, the Defence Forces returned to Lebanon on 31 October 2006 for 12 months.
The unit consisted of a Mobile Mechanised Infantry Company Group and operated in reconnaissance, patrolling and security roles alongside a Finnish engineering company as part of joint Irish-Finnish Battalion.
Since the withdrawal of the Infantry Company Group in 2007 the Defence Forces has remained committed to UNIFIL, currently nine personnel serve in the UNIFIL FHQ at Naquora.
In June 2011 the Defence Forces will deploy a Mechanised Infantry Battalion of 440 personnel approx to UNIFIL, as in the past this unit will be involved in peacekeeping operations. The unit, the 104 Infantry Battalion, will deploy in UNIFIL’s Sector West. The unit’s HQ will be located in Tibnine with two posts along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel. In its area of operations the unit will carryout patrolling, ground holding and humanitarian operations. As a Mechanised Infantry Battalion the unit is equipped with MOWAG Piranha lll APCs, Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles (GR32), heavy machine guns, anti-tank guns and Javelin missiles, heavy and medium mortars, and reconnaissance surveillance equipment.
The 104 Infantry Battalion’s tour of duty will be for five months until November 2011. It is anticipated that Finland will augment the Defence Forces Mechanised Infantry Battalion with an Infantry Company and support elements in the Autumn of 2011 or in early 2012. This partnership with the Finnish Defence Forces will be a continuation of ongoing cooperation in peace keeping, most recently in MINURCAT Chad in 2010, but also in UNIFIL in 2006. The Defence Forces will further support UNIFIL when in July 2011 it will deploy eight personnel to Sector West HQ in Shama.
Overseas Videos
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Duration: |
May 1978 - today |
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Operation type: |
UN led Peacekeeping Operations (Troops) |
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Commitment: |
458 since June 2011 |
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