Chinese peacekeepers assist Indonesian peacekeeping force in accomplishing unexploded ordnance detection tasks

By Qi Pengfei, Qu Fatong, Zhou Jie and Liu Kuikang

BEIRUT, Mar. 16 -- In mid March, the 24th Chinese Peacekeeping Force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) assisted the Indonesian peacekeeping force in accomplishing the unexploded ordnance detection task on the patrol routes around the camp of the UNIFIL headquarters.

Since March, as the situation along the Lebanon-Israel border continues to escalate, the firefights between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have become increasingly intense. The UNIFIL has urgently cancelled all peacekeeping tasks except patrols and duties. Establishing a secure patrol route has therefore become an urgent priority for the Indonesian peacekeeping force to consolidate the defense line in the camp.

After a comprehensive assessment, the UNIFIL headquarters immediately assigned the urgent and ad hoc task to the 24th Chinese Peacekeeping Force to UNIFIL, explicitly requiring the contingent to complete the detection and investigation of unexploded ordnance along the patrol roads in three days and eliminate potential safety hazards to open a secure patrol route for the Indonesian peacekeeping force.

The complicated jungle terrain obscured and concealed the unexploded ordnance, making the task highly challenging and risky. Nevertheless, the Chinese peacekeepers completed the preplanned three-day task in just two half-days. They successfully opened more than 4,500 meters of secure roads and thoroughly eliminated and marked potential hazards along the routes, building a safety shield for the Indonesian force to conduct normalized patrols.

Despite the current deteriorating situation in Lebanon with occasional firefights, the Chinese peacekeeping mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit will continue to routinely perform the EOD duties of the UNIFIL Sector West.

(Video Editor: Yang Xueqing)