German Navy frigate sets sail to join UN mission off Lebanon

A German Navy frigate set sail for the Lebanese coast on Friday with 183 sailors on board, and is set to take part in a UN mission.

The Nordrhein-Westfalen - named after the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia - left the naval base in Wilhelmshaven as planned, a Navy spokesman said.

Families, friends and fellow sailors saw off the crew from the pier in the northern port.

The frigate is to take part in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission off the coast of the Middle Eastern country, replacing another German ship.

The UN mission helps to secure maritime borders and prevent arms smuggling in the eastern Mediterranean, while also assisting with the training of the Lebanese Navy.

"UNIFIL is an important United Nations peacekeeping mission," said Commander Rico Geisler before the ship's departure. "We are protecting peace through our work, particularly in southern Lebanon, as we are making a concrete contribution to preventing arms smuggling in the region."

The Nordrhein-Westfalen will first head for Cyprus to pick up additional German sailors before joining the UNIFIL mission. The deployment is due to last five months.