Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of the 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, praising the troops for helping to establish security in the south following last summer's Israel-Hezbollah war.

In a letter to the council president circulated Monday, Ban said Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora has asked to renew the mandate of the force, known as UNIFIL, for a year. The current mandate expires on August 31.

The force, along with 15,000 Lebanese troops, was deployed along Lebanon's border with Israel to enforce the Security Council resolution that ended the Israeli-Hezbollah war, which killed more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and 159 people on the Israeli side.

	Advertisement

The swift and effective deployment of UNIFIL has helped to establish a new strategic military and security environment in southern Lebanon, Ban said.

The peacekeepers from 30 countries that make up the land and maritime forces and the peacekeeping partnership with the Lebanese armed forces have made it possible to implement several key aspects of the resolution that ended the war.

But Ban said recent events have tragically shown that much work remains to be done.

He cited the vicious attack on June 24 that killed six peacekeepers belonging to the Spanish contingent whose armored personnel carrier in southern Lebanon was struck by a bomb. It was the first such attack against UNIFIL.

In early July, a roadside bomb struck a UN jeep near the southern port of Tyre, but there were no casualties. Ban also cited the firing of rockets into Israel by Lebanese militants on June 17, which caused no casualties and little damage but demonstrated the continuing volatility of the border region.

The secretary-general reiterated that as a result of these attacks, the United Nations will not be deterred from implementing its Security Council-mandated activities, including negotiations on critical issues between the parties.

At the same time, he said, the attacks on UNIFIL have changed the security environment in which the mission operates in Lebanon.

In an effort to increase protection for the UN force and civilian staff, Ban said the mission will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces and will also require additional risk mitigation assets.

UN officials said these include explosive detectors, jammers on vehicles, and material and equipment to conduct investigations.