2nd Libre Hidalgo

1,100 soldiers make up the new contingent of Spanish forces in Lebanon. Most of them come from the 6th Light Infantry Parachute Brigade “Almogávares”, with base at Paracuellos del Jarama and Alcalá de Henares. The rest are members of the 1st Land Logistic Force, which has its HQ in Seville, and the 1st Intelligence Regiment, the 8th Armoured Light Cavalry Regiment and the Signal Regiment, all of them based in Valencia.

These units have relieved the Legion, which began its redeployment to Almería on 7 March 2007 and completed it on 16 March. The handover took place on 15 March with an administrative TOA (Transfer of Authority) to General Ramón Martín-Ambrosio Merino, commander of the Light Infantry Parachute Brigade. The Spanish-led Multinational Brigade is now under his command.

The Spanish soldiers deployed between the Israeli border and the Litani River are stationed at the Spanish base “Miguel de Cervantes”, which is in the municipal district of Blat near the village of Marjayoun. The base is the headquarters of UNIFIL Multinational Brigade Sector East, which also includes units from Nepal, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland and China.