By Zhang Zhe and Li Zhulin
Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz (center), the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, shakes hands with a Chinese demining operator at a minefield assigned to the 21st Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent near the Blue Line, the boundary marker between Lebanon and Israel on October 10, 2022. (Photo by Li Zhulin)
BEIRUT, Oct.8 -- Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz, head of mission and force commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), visited the minefield assigned to the 21st Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent on October 6.
Maj. Gen. Lázaro and his entourage arrived at the minefield near the Blue Line on the Lebanon and Israel border on Thursday morning, where he listened to the report given by the Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering contingent on their demining operations, and then put on a set of EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) protective equipment and entered the minefield. He talked with the Chinese demining operators and took group photos with them.
Maj. Gen. Lázaro said that the Chinese minesweeping contingent is highly professional and disciplined, and has maintained the records of "zero accidents" and "zero casualties", serving as an important supportive force for maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon.
China plays an important role in maintaining world peace and its contributions to the UN peacekeeping operations in Lebanon is appreciated, said Maj. Gen. Lázaro.
It is reported that since 2006, China has sent more than 7,000 peacekeepers in 21 peacekeeping forces to join in the UN peacekeeping operations in Lebanon. The Chinese peacekeeping de-miners have removed more than 15,000 mines and other types of unexploded ordnance, and the Chinese peacekeeping medical workers have provided medical assistance to more than 87,000 local people, making important contributions to maintaining peace and stability in southern Lebanon.