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Italian general to head UN force in Lebanon

AFP
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Italian general to head UN force in Lebanon
Italian general Luciano Portolano will head up the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP

UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Monday appointed Italian general Luciano Portolano to head the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

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Portolano will succeed his countryman and fellow general Paolo Serra, who is leaving the post on July 24 after two-and-a-half years.

Portolano, a 54-year-old major general, currently serves as deputy chief of staff for joint operations in Italy's armed forces, according to a statement from Ban's office.

He previously commanded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Regional Command West in Afghanistan.

Italy is one of the main troop contributors to UNIFIL, a multinational force established in 1978 to monitor the border between Lebanon and Israel. It consists of 10,200 soldiers.

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