India sends peacekeeping troops to Lebanon

New Delhi, Jan 19 (ANI): A unit of the Army contingent left on UN peace keeping mission to Lebanon from here on Monday.

Third largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, India is sending its second battalion of the Dogra regiment to Lebanon.

Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, SPS Dhillon told reporters that the unit had been deployed under Chapter six of the Unites Nations-Peacekeeping to ease the tensions in the region.

"The same unit was in Ethiopia earlier, now it is going to Lebanon. It would be a peacekeeping mission under chapter 6 of the United Nations and not chapter 7 i.e. peace enforcement mission. There is some tension between the two nations there (Israel and Lebanon) that and the aim is to ease that," said Dhillon.

Last year, India had sent an infantry battalion which had the responsibility for the eastern position of South Lebanon.

India, as a founder member of the United Nations, has been a firm supporter of the United Nations.So far, India has taken part in 43 peacekeeping missions with more than0,000 troops all over the world in various countries like Korea, Congo, Gaza,omalia, Lebanon and Sudan.

The first deployment was to Korea in 1953-54. Presently, India has deployed,875 personnel in UN peacekeeping operations worldwide. India has provided 12 Force Commanders to various UN Missions.

U.N. peacekeeping force had urged Lebanon and Israel to exercise restraint after at least three rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon last week.

Israel fought a month-long war in 2006 against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for last week's rocket attacks against Israel. (ANI)