(Washington Post) Mohamad El Chamaa - The Lebanese army has increased its deployment in the country's south over the past few months, confiscating Hizbullah's arms and dismantling its positions under the terms of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, according to Lebanese military officials and diplomats. An additional 1,500 troops have been deployed in the south, closest to the border with Israel, bringing the total to 6,000, with 4,000 more still being recruited, military officials said. Such an effort was unimaginable only a year ago, when Hasan Nasrallah, Hizbullah's leader, was alive. A diplomat with knowledge of the matter said a five-member committee headed by a U.S. official is overseeing the implementation of the agreement. The committee receives coordinates of arms depots and missile launchers from the Israelis or UN peacekeepers and then the Lebanese military is to take action. The diplomat said the armed forces have so far dismantled more than 500 military sites operated by Hizbullah and other groups. In recent weeks, calls have mounted for the Lebanese military to disarm Hizbullah across the country, not just south of the Litani River close to Israel. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his country is working to ensure the state's right to monopolize the bearing of arms "north and south of the Litani."
2025-04-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive