UNIFIL’s Croatian Contingent has ended its mission with UNIFIL with the departure of 49 troops from south Lebanon today.

The Croatian peacekeepers worked with UNIFIL’s Italian Contingent in Sector West. The Sector Headquarters in Shamaa organized a flag-lowering ceremony on 28 May to mark the conclusion of their mission in south Lebanon.

During the past year, the Republic of Croatia deployed two contingents to UNIFIL. Each contingent included an engineering company, staff officers and logistics personnel in the Sector Headquarters.

Their main tasks included force protection, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), infrastructure engineering works including road construction and maintenance, and planning and coordination of operational and training activities. They also carried out a number of civil-military cooperation projects in support of the host population in the municipalities of Tyre, Yaroun, Rumaysh and Chahabiya.

Speaking at the flag-lowering ceremony yesterday, UNIFIL’s Sector West Commander Brigadier General Bruno Pisciotta praised the work of the Croatian Contingent.

This is the first time a Croatian Contingent was deployed to UNIFIL.

Despite the departure of the Contingent, one staff officer from Croatia will continue to serve in the Mission Headquarters in Naqoura.