Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos is expected to visit Beirut on Sunday to hold talks with Lebanese leaders and inspect his country's troops in southern Lebanon, DPA reported. Moratinos, who will arrive in Beirut late Sunday, will hold talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and will inspect the troops Monday in southern Lebanon following last month's blast that killed six Spanish soldiers. On June 24, three Spaniards and three Colombians, part of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) serving in Lebanon, were killed when a car bomb struck their armoured personnel carrier as they patrolled the main road between the towns of Marjayoun and Khiam. Spain has deployed nearly 1,100 troops to southeastern Lebanon near Israeli border as part of UNIFIL, which has 13,225 soldiers from 30 countries. UNIFIL first deployed to Lebanon in 1978 after an Israeli invasion but was expanded from 2,000 peacekeepers after the war between Israel and Hezbollah militias last August in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.
