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Spanish Soldier Returns to South to Wed Lebanese A Lebanese woman and a former Spanish peacekeeper got married in south Lebanon, the first wedding between a Lebanese and a U.N. soldier since UNIFIL's reinforcement. An Nahar daily said that Juan Antonio Cerrano Alvarez and Dunia Atallah tied the knot at Saint Peter's Cathedral in Jdeidet-Marjayoun on Sunday. It said the couple met at a military apparel store where Atallah worked as the soldier was serving with the Spanish contingent in the south between October 2006 and February 2007. Alvarez returned to Spain after the end of his mission but decided to come back to Lebanon to marry the woman he described as "special." As Safir daily said Sunday's wedding was the first between a Lebanese woman and a UNIFIL soldier since the peacekeeping mission was beefed up following last summer's July-August Israeli offensive. It reported around 60 cases of marriage between peacekeepers and young Lebanese women prior to the war.

Beirut, 23 Jul 07, 10:48