In the coming weeks the "Sassari" brigade will take command of the Italian contingent and the Sector West of Unifil (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the United Nations multinational interposition force, located in southern Lebanon, whose mandate is to guarantee compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701 of 11 August 2006.
The resolution envisages monitoring the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, assisting the Lebanese government in exercising its sovereignty over the territory and in ensuring the security of its borders, in particular of the border crossings with the State of Israel.
The Unifil mission also aims to assist the civilian population and support the Lebanese armed forces in the area's security and stabilization operations to prevent a return of hostilities and create conditions for lasting peace. The command of the operation, called "Leonte", will be entrusted to General Andrea Di Stasio, commander of the "Sassari" brigade, who for six months will lead a contingent of about 3.800 blue helmets of 16 nationalities (including Italy) that will be deployed in the region. west of the "Land of Cedars".
The contingent includes 1.000 Italian soldiers, including 450 "Sassari", who will work together with the peacekeepers of Armenia, Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, South Korea, Ghana, Ireland, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, Serbia , Slovenia, Tanzania and Hungary. The Italian contingent will be made up of personnel from the Brigade Command and the 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment of Teulada, assets of the 5th Engineer Regiment of Macomer and other specialized units of the Army.
For the "Sassari" brigade it is the second mission to Lebanon after the six-monthly mandate of 2016, where the "dimonios" have gained a professional background of undisputed value, but above all an in-depth knowledge of local culture and traditions. As a precondition for the employment abroad, all the departing staff has been subjected to a series of health surveillance measures as a precaution to prevent possible risks of infection with Coronavirus. The military observed an isolation and observation period of 14 days in suitable accommodation facilities on the island where they underwent swabs and diagnostic visits.
The deployment of the "Sassari" brigade began in recent days with the departure of a first aliquot of soldiers who took off from the Cagliari-Elmas airport on board an Air Force aircraft and will be completed by the first decade of August.
