Overseas Operations - UNIFIL
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
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 kilometers. 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 a 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/Lebanin 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. This unit has now withdrawn and seven personnel remain committed to UNIFIL HQ.
| Duration | May 1978 - today |
|---|---|
| Operation type | UN led Peacekeeping Operations (Troops) |
| Commitment | 7 |