UNIFIL handed over the last two of five minefields cleared by its deminers over the past six months to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), during a ceremony held yesterday in Blida, southeastern Lebanon.
While clearing the final two minefields, with a combined area of 5,188 square metres, UNIFIL deminers found 946 mines which were destroyed on site.
In total, UNIFIL has cleared and handed over five minefields – covering 12,030 square metres – to the Lebanese Mine Action Centre (LMAC) of the LAF since the peacekeeping deminers resumed humanitarian demining last August. In the process, they also found and destroyed 2,173 mines.
Earlier handovers included one cleared minefield in Blida (19 December 2025) and two in Maroun ar-Ra’s (4 February 2026).
Speaking at yesterday’s ceremony in Blida, UNIFIL Chief of Staff Major General Paul Sanzey, representing the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, said the demining work lasting months required “discipline, professionalism, and technical excellence.”
"Despite the complexity of this environment, the results are clear and life-saving. You have made a real difference for the safety of this area and for the daily lives of the local population,” he told UNIFIL deminers from Cambodia who were involved in clearing the Blida minefields. “This work contributes concretely to allowing future generations of Lebanese to live in a safer environment.”
Following a request from the Government of Lebanon, UNIFIL peacekeepers resumed humanitarian demining in southern Lebanon last summer – nearly two years after operations were suspended due to exchanges of fire across the Blue Line. This operation is in line with UNIFIL’s continued cooperation with the LAF.
This is in addition to several demining operations UNIFIL peacekeepers have conducted in the last year including in and around UNIFIL bases and Blue Line markers as well as while clearing roadblocks.
