Beirut [Lebanon], July 29: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday it had discovered nearly four metric tonnes of explosive material, consisting mainly of ammonium nitrate compounds, in abandoned containers near the border town of Houla earlier this month.
"Every explosive hazard safely neutralized helps create safer conditions for our operations and contributes to longer-term stability in southern Lebanon," UNIFIL head of mission and force commander Major General Diodato Abagnara said.
The mission said peacekeepers found 385 containers inside an abandoned building during a routine inspection on July 2. Following a risk assessment, UNIFIL's explosive ordnance disposal specialists rendered the material safe on site, eliminating the threat it posed.
UNIFIL said the discovery came as it expanded patrols and route-clearance operations following a recent reduction in violence in southern Lebanon, where unexploded ordnance and other hazardous materials continue to endanger both peacekeepers and civilians returning to their homes.
Source: Qatar Tribune
