It was formed in early 1976 after the full takeover of the city of Tyre in the south of Lebanon by the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Lebanese Arab Army.
In February 1975, Tyre saw pro-PLO and anti-government demonstrations after Arab Nationalist MP and PNO leader, Maarouf Saad, had been killed in Sidon, allegedly by the army.
[3] In 1976, local commanders of the PLO took over the municipal government of Tyre with support from their allies of the Lebanese Arab Army (LAA).
[8] However, they quickly lost support from the local population[9][better source needed] because of their "arbitrary and often brutal behavior".
[10][better source needed] Even Tyre's veteran politician Jafar Sharafeddin[9] was quoted criticising the PLO for "its violations and sabotage of the Palestinian cause".