Austria condemns attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

GENEVA

Austria Monday said that every attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon is an attack on peace that must be condemned.

Addressing a military ceremony in the Gotzendorf barracks, Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner said: “Despite the tense situation in Lebanon, the Austrian Armed Forces are making their contribution to peacekeeping."

During the ceremony, 81 soldiers were given a farewell for their deployment in Lebanon.

"I am particularly pleased that for the first time a woman is taking over the leadership of this contingent,” Tanner was quoted as saying in a press release by the Defense Ministry.

Lt. Col. Maria Eder is the first woman to lead the foreign deployment.

The Austrian Armed Forces have been participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission since November 2011.

UNIFIL deploys a total of around 10,000 soldiers and 800 UN civilian employees from 40 nations.

The Israeli army has attacked several UNIFIL posts across southern Lebanon since it launched its ground offensive in southern Lebanon in early October, triggering condemnations worldwide.

UNIFIL was established as interim force in 1978 to help restore peace in the region and as a confirmation of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.