Beirut, Nov 7 (IANS): German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht has announced new support from her country to the Lebanese army in maritime surveillance and training.

Lambrecht's remarks came during her visit to Lebanon on Sunday to follow up on her country's maritime force operating with the United Nations Interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Xinhua news agency reported, citing the National News Agency.

"We are committed to strengthening the maritime radar system by providing specialized radar equipment and training to operate the machine, which is equally important to securing patrol boats," she said.

UNIFIL Maritime Force is the first of its kind within the framework of the UN peacekeeping force. It was first deployed in 2006 at the request of Lebanon to assist its navy in securing maritime borders and effective security control in Lebanese waters, which comprises six ships from Germany, Bangladesh, Greece, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 under UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 to confirm the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and restore international peace and security in the region.

UNIFIL currently has over 9,000 peacekeepers from 48 countries and about 800 local and international civilian staff.