Operation Dinnieh Operation Benin Global War on Terrorism The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; Arabic: القوات المسلحة اللبنانية, romanized: Al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥa al-Lubnāniyya), also known as the Lebanese Army[3] (Arabic: الجيش اللبناني, romanized: Al-Jaish al-Lubnani), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon.

The Lebanese Armed Forces' primary missions include defending Lebanon and its citizens against external aggression, maintaining internal stability and security, confronting threats against the country's vital interests, engaging in social development activities and undertaking relief operations in coordination with public and humanitarian institutions.

All three branches are operated and coordinated by the LAF Commander; a position customarily held by a Maronite Catholic Christian, from the ministry of defence which is located in Yarzeh, east of Lebanon's capital, Beirut.

These indigenous troops were diverse units composed of Lebanese, Syrian, Circassian and Kurdish enlisted personnel; all commanded predominantly by French officers.

[11] In addition to the locally engaged Troupes Speciales; North African, Senegalese and French military units served in Syria and the Lebanon.

In June of the same year, the French reconstituted units of the Troupes Spéciales du Levant, which were then attached to the British forces in the Middle East.

[12] After Lebanon gained independence in 1943, the Lebanese government formed an official delegation in 1944 to negotiate with the French the terms related to handing over the LAF.

After nearly three weeks of talks, the joint French-British Command decreed that responsibility for armed units under French control was to be handed over to the Independent Government of Lebanon.

[10] After establishing authority over the LAF in 1945, the Lebanese government intentionally kept its armed forces small and weak due to the country's unique internal politics.

[12] In addition to the two major conflicting views, prominent Lebanese politicians of the myriad of religious denominations in Lebanon have also tended to be feudal warlords commanding their own private militias and feared that a strong army would endanger their personal power.

[15] Due to sectarian pressures and the fragmented political system, the Lebanese army is held back from fulfilling its obligations to disarm Hizbullah.

However the Lebanese military has been able to "operate as a police force", preventing sectarian violence and resolving tensions between refugees and local Christians.

The Lebanese Air Force (Arabic: القوات الجوية اللبنانية, romanized: al-quwwat al-jawiyah al-lubnaniyah) currently has a number of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft including the Bell UH-1H Huey, Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma, Gazelle, Cessna Caravan, Hawker Hunters, and various others.

Those who enroll are subjected to rigorous training regimes and must be in peak physical and mental condition prior to their ascension to such a highly desired position.

[18] The Lebanese Armed Forces has six official military colleges and schools that serve a wide variety of functions from officer training to overseeing national youth conscription programs.

The schools and colleges are: The Staff and Command College, Military Academy, and Mountain Skiing Fighting School are training centers for Lebanese soldiers designed to upgrade the quality of their skills while the High Center for Military Sport is designed to keep them in peak physical shape (it also organizes sports groups and teams for international competition as well).

A recent Russian promise to supply Lebanon with T-90 tanks has been in discussion since the Lebanese Defense Minister's last visit to Russia on December 16, 2008.

As members defected to sectarian militias, the army would eventually prove unable to contain the militant groups, rein in the PLO or monitor foreign infiltration.

The disintegration of the Lebanese Army was eventually initiated by Muslim deserters declaring that they would no longer take orders from the Maronite generals.

On 4 July 1991, following the failure of disarmament negotiations, as required by the Taif Agreement, the Lebanese Army attacked Palestinian positions in Southern Lebanon.

[30][31][32] While providing aid to civilians, Lebanese troops helped to uphold order in city streets, directed refugees to safer areas, and assisted with overlooking damage done by Israeli attacks.

The 2007 Lebanon conflict began when fighting broke out between Fatah al-Islam, an Islamic terrorist organization, and the Lebanese Armed Forces on May 20, 2007, in Nahr al-Bared, a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli.

The conflict finally ended on September 2, 2007, with the Lebanese Army taking control of the camp after more than three months of heavy fights and a death toll of 155 commandos and infantrymen.

[36] During the week-long clashes that occurred at the beginning of May 2008 in Beirut and other regions of the country, the army was unable to prevent rival Lebanese groups from fighting each other.

[38] Since the outbreak of conflict in Syria, the Lebanese Army has been deployed to prevent clashes from taking place in the city of Tripoli, as well as in other hot zones such as Beirut and Arsal on the eastern borders.

In 2014, ISIS and Al-Nusra Front terrorist groups established small bases and fortifications in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, where they operated against Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army.

Two days later, the Lebanese Army entered Arsal in full force and reestablished control over checkpoints that the militants had previously seized.

[42] On July 21, 2017, Hezbollah, the Syrian Armed Forces and the Lebanese Army launched a military operation against ISIS and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham positions on the Lebanon–Syria border.

[48] On January 7, 2025 units of the Lebanese army began to deploy in Southern Lebanaon, following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Ras Naqoura, Alma Al-Shaab, Tayr Harfa in Tyre, Beit Lif in Bint Jbeil, and other towns across the western and central sectors.

This comes as part of coordinated efforts with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the committee supervising the ceasefire agreement (Mechanism).