Finnish peacekeepers in Lebanon receive new commander

Finnish peacekeeping forces in Lebanon have a new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mika Jääskeläinen, the Finnish Army announced on Tuesday, citing a press release.

The outgoing commander, Lieutenant Colonel Aleksi Punnala, handed over duties to Jääskeläinen in a small-scale ceremony on April 1 at the mission’s base in southern Lebanon. Due to the local security situation, the event was limited to Finnish and French personnel stationed at the base.

A fresh contingent of Finnish peacekeepers has also arrived in the region. The Finnish crisis management unit currently comprises around 165 personnel.