South Korean troops under UNIFIL suspend mission but to stay in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean troops working under the command of UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) suspended Saturday their mission in southern Lebanon, local Elnashra website reported.

The South Korean chief of staff office said that suspension of the mission is "temporary" and was at the request of the United Nations, the report said.

Local al-Moustaqbal TV quoted a South Korean spokesman as saying that his unit will keep its mission and will not leave Lebanon "until UN resolution 1701 is implemented."

The South Korean troops with some 360 soldiers joined UNIFIL in 2007, and have been supporting local residents in southern Lebanon by rebuilding schools, teaching computer lessons and offering medical assistance.

UNIFIL's current mandate in southern Lebanon is to expire on Aug. 31, 2009, its troops are in charge of restoring peace and security as well as assisting the Lebanese government in ensuring the return of its authority in the area.

On Thursday, however, three rockets were fired on northern Israel from southern Lebanon areas under UNIFIL control, prompting an Israeli respond of shelling back. The incident spread fear of escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli borders.