Special report: Israel, Lebanon agree on ceasefire

    MADRID, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish parliament on Thursday authorized the government to send 1,100 troops to South Lebanon to join the UN peacekeeping operation.

    The move was backed by all Spanish parties, including the opposition People's Party.

    Jose Antonio Alonso, the country's Defense Minister, told the legislators that the first Spanish troops, 450 marines and 76 infantry men, are scheduled to leave very soon.

    The Spaniards, using the city of Marjayun as their base, will police the western Lebanon border.

    Spain has become the third largest troop provider to the region, after Italy, which sent 800 troops last week out of a total of 3,000 pledged; and France which will commit a force of 2,000 soldiers, said Alonso.

    Spain has a total of 2,129 troops involved in peacekeeping missions in Kosovo, Bosnia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Baltic countries. It has 680 soldiers in Afghanistan alone.

    Under the UN Resolution 1701, the United Nations will expand its peacekeeping forces in Lebanon to 15,000-2,000. Enditem