Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy today assumed command of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), taking over from Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro of Spain, during a special ceremony held at the Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, south Lebanon.

This morning, UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting a planned patrol coordinated with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al Tahta, in southern Lebanon.

In honour of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, UNIFIL hosted a ceremony at its Naqoura headquarters attended by members of the Lebanese Armed Forces, security services, local political and religious authorities, ambassadors, and UN officials.