Lebanese Army

Haykal Marks Army Day with Border Pledge and Tribute to Troops

Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander General Rodolphe Haykal reaffirmed on Friday the army’s firm commitment to national security, announcing a “large-scale and important deployment” in the southern Litani region, conducted in close coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as Israel continues to occupy several ...

CENTCOM Chief in Beirut: US Reaffirms Support for Lebanese Army

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received US General Michael Kurilla, the Commander of CENTCOM (US Central Command), on Thursday in Baabda. The meeting was held in the presence of US Ambassador Lisa A. Johnson and a delegation of senior military officials, underscoring America’s continued commitment to Lebanon. According to the Lebanese ...

Aoun on Army Day: Disarmament of All Militias Including Hezbollah

On the occasion of Lebanese Army Day, President Joseph Aoun delivered on Thursday a speech of rare resolve, calling for a national awakening around the military institution and demanding that all weapons – without exception – be placed under the exclusive authority of the Lebanese Army. In an address clearly directed at all Lebanese, including ...

'Tansa:' The Unknown Soldier of a Country in Disarray…

In Lebanon, there’s a joke as old as our illusions and as biting as our clarity. It’s about “Tansa,” the poor soldier sent alone to face tanks, then artillery, then fighter jets, until, at his breaking point, he snaps: “What kind of country is this, where Tansa alone stands to defend it?” (The original punchline is a little less ...

Army Chief Calls for Military Unity on 80th Anniversary

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Lebanese Army, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Rodolphe Haykal, paid tribute to the sacrifices of Lebanese soldiers and reaffirmed the central role of the military institution in defending national unity. In a speech delivered for the occasion, General Haykal ...

U.S. Ambassador Nominee: Disarming Hezbollah ‘Not Optional but Necessary’

Michel Issa, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, delivered a firm message on Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, declaring that the disarmament of Hezbollah is “not optional but necessary” and urging that “the time to act is now.” Issa pledged, if confirmed, to work closely with Lebanese ...

1957: A Crash, Gold and Shadows of Mystery

This is the story of the Curtiss C-46 operated by Air Liban, which crashed off the coast of Beirut in 1957 with around 30 passengers on board. According to witness accounts and expert testimony, the aircraft was transporting a shipment of gold estimated between 400 and 450 kilograms, bound for Kuwait. While the crash itself raises questions, what ...

Army Helicopters Battle Akkar's Raging Forest Fire

Since early Friday morning, Lebanese Army helicopters have been conducting aerial missions to contain a massive wildfire tearing through the cedar and fir forests of Qala in the highlands of Mish Mish, Akkar, near the mountainous border between Akkar, Dinniyeh and Hermel. The fire, which has been spreading for two days under harsh weather ...

Gemayel: Weapons Paralyze Lebanon

The Head of the Kataeb bloc, MP Samy Gemayel, strongly criticized the presence of non-state arms in Lebanon, asserting during a press conference on Thursday that such weapons “neither protect nor liberate Lebanon” and “leave the country paralyzed.” Gemayel argued that the justification for armed resistance is unfounded, stating that ...

Lebanese Army Raids in Bekaa and Baabda Lead to Clashes and Arrests

The Lebanese Army carried out a series of targeted operations on Thursday in different parts of the Bekaa region, resulting in clashes with wanted individuals. In a morning statement, the army command reported that a unit, supported by an intelligence patrol, raided several homes in Bir el-Abed, Baabda. During the operation, four individuals (A. ...

The Endless Countdown: Lebanon’s Ceasefire Deadlock and the Impossible Disarmament

Sixty days—no more! That was the confident, oft-repeated promise declared at the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel in November 2024. This now-mythic deadline was then heralded as the decisive countdown to peace in Lebanon. What followed? Everything but peace: extensions, postponements, shifting timelines and a ...