BERLIN, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The German government on Wednesday approved the deployment of around 2,400 naval soldiers for a UN peacekeeping operation along Lebanon's coast.

    A report by German news agency DPA said the decision would be approved by parliament next week.

    The exact number of German ships sent to the region has yet to be announced and Germany would probably take command of an international naval force comprising Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.

    The naval force would be tasked with searching any suspicious ships in the area, according to the report.

    The deployment will be the first by Germany in the Middle East since the end of World War II.

    The United Nations is deploying up to 15,000 troops in southern Lebanon to keep peace there under a ceasefire agreement reached last month, which put an end to fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah militants. Enditem