UNIFIL carried out 5,700 operations in support of army since February, including discovery of 250 weapons caches

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated on Monday that its peacekeepers deployed in the western sector of southern Lebanon have conducted 5,700 operations in support of the Lebanese Army since February, including the discovery of about 250 illegal weapons caches.

"Since the start of the operational mandate in February, the western sector of UNIFIL has reinforced its presence in the area of responsibility, thanks to operations carried out by the Italian, Ghanaian, Irish, Korean and Malaysian contingents, in close cooperation with the Lebanese armed forces," the U.N. force said in a statement. It also stated that it has continued its mission "to support the security and stability of communities along the Blue Line."

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'Vital support to local communities'

"In a complex, unstable, and very dynamic operational context, the western sector has carried out more than 5,700 operations in support of the Lebanese armed forces, thereby doubling the frequency of operations compared to the period before the conflict," the statement said. This support included "the redeployment of the Lebanese armed forces to more than 120 permanent positions and the discovery of more than 250 illegal weapons and ammunition caches, which were immediately reported to the Lebanese armed forces."

UNIFIL stated that it "continues to provide vital support to local communities, notably by facilitating humanitarian tasks." These activities include "providing medical assistance in populated areas within the area of responsibility to some 2,800 civilian patients; more than 100 key leaders' meetings with local authorities, conducted personally by the commander of the western sector; reconnaissance of over 400 kilometers of roads in the operations zone; removal of nearly 100 roadblocks to ensure freedom of movement; some 70 discoveries of unexploded ordnance; 77 identifications of weapons and ammunition, and 56 tunnel identifications."

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Supporting stability along the Blue Line'

The commander of the western sector of UNIFIL, Nicola Mandolesi, stressed that "the results achieved over these months are the result of continuous engagement, jointly with multinational units and in coordination with the Lebanese Army."

"Every activity, whether operational or humanitarian, aligns with our mandate: to support security and stability along the Blue Line and provide vital support to local communities, including facilitating humanitarian missions," he added.

Deployed on the front line since the opening of southern Lebanon's front in support of Gaza in October 2023, UNIFIL has also suffered the consequences of more than a year of conflict, both at the security and logistical levels. 

Hezbollah and Israel engaged in a devastating war lasting more than 13 months, from October 2023 to November 2024, in the wake of the Gaza conflict. The party emerged significantly weakened by these clashes, which ended with a cease-fire that came into effect on Nov. 27. Despite this truce, the Israeli army continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon and persists in its violations of the agreement by almost daily bombarding the south, and more sporadically the Bekaa and southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Lebanese Army has dismantled hundreds of Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani River, but the party still maintains its weapons north of this line and has so far refused to surrender its arsenal, as demanded by the international community, led by the United States and Israel.