NAQOURA, FEBRUARY 4 – UNIFIL Italian peacekeepers recently conducted a training course for members of the Lebanese State Security to improve the overall operational competence, efficiency and readiness by imparting knowledge on static and dynamic marksmanship techniques and principles.
The course, conducted for four days from 13 to 18 January 2021, sought to enhance capabilities of the state security institutions so that they can better deal with domestic security challenges. A total of 15 State Security personnel from Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) participated in the integrated course that was divided into theoretical and practical sessions.
This training activity, one of hundreds conducted every month by UNIFIL peacekeepers with various Lebanese security agencies, is in line with the UN Security Council resolution 2539 – adopted in August 2020 while renewing UNIFIL’s mandate – which called for increased international support for Lebanese state security institutions.
Designed by the UNIFIL Sector West Command and conducted by instructors from the Italian Battalion (ITALBATT), the course comprised theoretical lessons on the fundamental development of knowledge and skills in firing and the use of weapons under stressful conditions. The second phase of the course was the practical firing exercise at the Naqoura shooting range.
Speaking at the end of the course, ITALBATT Commander Colonel Carlo Di Pinto said the development of the operational capabilities of the Lebanese state security personnel is “one of the most successful objectives” achieved by the course.
“The skills and knowledge acquired are useful for the improvement of the level of interoperability with UNIFIL peacekeepers in compliance with the UN Security Council resolution 1701 (which forms the core of UNIFIL’s mandate),” said Col. Di Pinto.
