Beirut, November 15: The Indian Army for the first time has commanded a foreign army contingent during the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon. A company of Kazakhstan Army has been co-deployed with 11 JAT Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army. The Kazakh company arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport at Beirut was received by 11 JAT.  Troop reinforcement will also be routed through India. There are about 120 Kazak troops out of 900 troops deployed in the region. India One of The Largest Contributors in United Nations Peacekeeping Missions; Around 2,00,000 Indian Troops Deployed Till Date

According to reports, 30 Kazak soldiers will be part of Battalion Headquarters which will take decisions on the operational and administrative issues. The Kazak Company is commanded by Major Ayan Nurkassov, whereas Colonel Jeevan B is Commanding Officer of the 11 JAT and is also the overall commander of the unit located in Marjayoun area. The Indian Unit in Lebanon is deployed about 40 kilometres out of the total 121 kilometres of the Blue Line which demarcates the border between Lebanon and Israel. UN Peacebuilding Efforts Held Back by Lack of Funding: India

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Defence of Kazakhstan Nurlan Yermekbayev flagged off the ceremony of the Kazakhstan contingent which will join the Indian Army battalion in Lebanon. Indian and Kazakhstan have strong defence ties. Kazakhstan defence personnel used to undergo training at various Indian army institutes including Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academies.

(With inputs from ANI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2018 10:23 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).