27th Libre Hidalgo

The Canary Islands Command has, for the first time, generated a contingent for the UN operation in Lebanon (BRILIB) with around 600 troops. The BRILIB XXVII contingent has been formed at the 16th “Canarias” Brigade base, which has its headquarters at the “General Alemán Ramírez” barracks in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.
In order to generate the BRILIB XXVII, all the Brigade units have contributed to the staff, as well as members from the rest of the units from the Canary Islands Command. The contribution of other units in the Canary Islands must also be mentioned, such as the 81 Logistics Support Group, the VI/22 Transmissions Battalion, as well as other units from different bases in the Iberian Peninsula, such as the  Civil- Military Cooperation Battalion, Medical formations, Special Operations and Intelligence units, as well as support from Cavalry, Signals and Civil Guard.
Out of the total number of Spanish personnel in the contingent, 88% of the troops are from the Canary islands, of which 34 are women. Within the Spanish contingent, there are also contributions from Brazil, El Salvador and a company from Serbia, which is integrated into the Light Protected Task Group.
For around six months, starting on 21 May 2017, and under the command of general Venancio Aguado de Diego, current Brigade chief of the 16th “Canarias” Brigade, the contingent will continue the work started by their predecessors with the aim of monitoring the fulfilment of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and accompanying and assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south of the country and along the Blue Line, an imaginary line that separates Lebanon and Israel.
UNIFIL, deployed in the south of Lebanon, is made up of two sectors, the East led by Spain and the West led by Italy. It also benefits from a reserve led by France. The sector led by Spain is under the command of the Spanish Brigade general. It has four main Task Groups led by Spain, India, Indonesia and Nepal. The main nucleus of the Spanish contingent is at the “Miguel de Cervantes” base, the Sector Headquarters, and is made up of senior staff from the Light Protected Task Group (GTLP), a Cavalry Unit, an Engineers Unit, a Logistics Unit, a Transmissions Unit, an Army Headquarters Unit, a Base Support Unit and the Civil Guard. They will live together with personnel from the other eight countries at the base who make up the East Sector: Brazil, China, El Salvador, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Nepal and Serbia.