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China's sixth peacekeeping squad heading to Lebanon
By Li Yingqing and Guo Anfei (China Daily Yunnan Bureau)
Updated: 2009-09-25 21:28

Two hundred and seventy-five soldiers will be leaving Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, on October 16, 2009 to take part in the United Nations mission in Lebanon.

The soldiers of China’s sixth peacekeeping squad will leave for the middle-east country next month to discharge landmines and build and maintain roads, in addition to performing other humanitarian tasks.

All members of the squad have a fundamental knowledge and skills of peacekeeping missions and have passed national selection exams, a representative from the squad said.

Seventy soldiers of the battalion have been to the country for peacekeeping before, with this mission calling for an eight month stay.

China first sent peacekeepers to join UN peacekeeping efforts in the war-torn region of southern Lebanon in April 2006.