Amid Israel's attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, contingency plan to evacuate Indian troops ready

The Indian Army has a plan ready to evacuate its contingent in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon mission.

This comes at a time when Israel ’s attacks on positions held by the UN peacekeepers injured two Indonesian and two Italian peacekeepers.

India has been providing an infantry battalion group and a sizeable number of headquarters staff personnel in the UNIFIL mission since November 1998 .

The Ministry of External Affairs said it was concerned about the “deteriorating security situation”.

And, in 2006 , when war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah , UNIFIL was given the additional responsibilities of monitoring the cessation of hostilities as well as coordinating with the two governments. The mission also included ensuring humanitarian access to civilian populations and helping the safe return of displaced persons. In addition, the mission was also required to take steps to establish an area free of “any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and UNIFIL deployed in this area” between the Blue Line and the Litani river. (Edited by Sanya Mathur ).