MADRID, OCT 26, SPA -- More than 400 Spanish soldiers flewto Lebanon on Thursday to join the U.N.-led peacekeepingmission monitoring the cease-fire between Israel andHezbollah guerrillas, AP REPORTED. The soldiers will replace 500 who deployed in September. Agroup of 180 left from the southern city of Almeria toBeirut in the morning, and another 250 were expected toleave Thursday afternoon, the Defense Ministry said. The ministry said the troops would be based near the town of Marjayoun, where they will join anothergroup of 60 soldiers already in south Lebanon sinceOctober. The Spanish contingent in the peacekeeping forcewill increase to a total of about 1,100 in the comingweeks. Some 500 marines arrived in Lebanon in mid-September inthe first phase of a Spanish deployment. They are to returnto Spain by Nov.9 on two military ships. The Spanish troops join a United Nations peacekeepingforce in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, as it expands from 2,000soldiers to 15,000 under a new Security Council resolution. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/398239