19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering detachment to Lebanon ready to set out (5)

On the morning of July 10, a gathering was held to mark the establishment of the 19th Chinese peacekeeping multi-functional engineering detachment to Lebanon.

At the request of the United Nations (UN) and in accordance with the order of the Central Military Commission, China's 19th peacekeeping force to Lebanon will fly to the country in two groups from late July to mid-August, and undertake shift work with the 18th peacekeeping force in Lebanon, implementing missions for one year including mine-sweeping, removing explosives, setting up boundary markers along the Blue Line that separates Lebanon with Israel, building and maintaining military defense works, and delivering medical treatment and humanitarian relief.

The force reportedly consists of a multi-functional engineer detachment, construction engineer detachment and medical detachment, totaling over 400 members.

According to reports, through the unremitting efforts of past peacekeepers, the multi-functional engineering detachment has not suffered a single casualty while mine sweeping for 14 years in a row, and has hit four international records in completing the mine sweeping tasks entrusted to it by the UN, namely, sweeping mines with the greatest speed, highest quality, lowest cost and lowest casualty rate. To date, about 2 million square meters of suspected minefields, explosive-scattered areas and 14,000 meters of patrol roads have been searched and cleared, and more than 14,000 mines and all kinds of unexploded materials have been found and removed.

Du Jia, the commander of the 19th batch of peacekeeping forces to Lebanon and leader of the multi-functional engineering detachment, said that for the last four months that he has been in charge of the peacekeeping mission, all peacekeepers have been working hard and conscientiously. During the training period, peacekeepers have conducted systematic training for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) qualification certification, emergency defense, war trauma treatment, commonly used English and foreign affairs etiquette, and so on, greatly enhancing their capabilities in carrying out peacekeeping missions.

As the only post-00s female soldier of the multi-functional engineering detachment, Zhou Hui, a minesweeper, is very proud to be able to participate in this international mine-sweeping mission. Ahead of her upcoming journey, she said with a smile: "The intensive training has given me the confidence to deal with challenges, and I will certainly live up to my mission."