The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on March 19, 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of its establishment at the headquarters in the southern city of Naqoura. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Monday marked the 40th anniversary of its establishment at the headquarters in the southern city of Naqoura.

At the ceremony, Michael Beary, the head of Mission and Force Commander of UNIFIL, highlighted the almost 12 years of relative stability in southern Lebanon, saying it was achieved jointly with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

"We have a collective responsibility to learn from our shared history and to remain on a path to peace. UNIFIL works tirelessly to pre-empt a return to conflict; a return to turmoil and loss of life; a return to some of the dark days of the past," said Beary.

One of the main highlights of the ceremony was an emotional tribute to the fallen peacekeepers by John O'Mahony, a veteran Irish Peacekeeper who lost two of his colleagues during an attack on their convoy in At Tiri on April 18, 1980.

O'Mahony, who himself was injured with multiple gunshots in the attack, laid a wreath at the UNIFIL cenotaph to pay tribute to the 312 UN peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, 69 military staff officers were awarded with the UN Medal for their contribution to the UN mission's mandate.

The UN Security Council established UNIFIL on March 19, 1978, with the mandate to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Lebanese government in ensuring its effective authority in the area.

Backed by a six-vessel Maritime Task Force, UNIFIL currently has around 10,500 peacekeepers from 41 countries, who conduct some 13,500 operations on a monthly basis.