This was sometimes achieved against great odds, by facing strong pressure from Lebanese Muslim militias backed both by Syrian Army forces stationed at Lebanon and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) guerrilla factions.

Between September 1983 and October 1990, General Michel Aoun's Eighth Brigade managed to repulse the Druze Progressive Socialist Party's People's Liberation Army (PLA) militia and their allies' attempts to wrestle control of the town.

In later stages of the battle, the Lebanese Army loyal to President Amin Gemayel's government relieved the LF and took over the positions that they had held onto in Chouf.

Baabda lay downhill on the Beirut–Aley–Damascus highway, and any militia forces advancing from the south had to pass through Souk El Gharb in order to get into the Beirut–Aley road.

Moreover, Souk El Gharb controlled a ridge that overlooked the key East Beirut districts of Baabda and Yarze, where were located the Presidential Palace and the Lebanese Ministry of Defense complex, respectively.

Eventually, the Lebanese Army's Eighth Brigade bore the brunt of the attacks, but succeeded in retaining control of the town after three days of heavy fighting.

The PLA seized Souk El Gharb three times over, but failed at each occasion to keep it for long: firstly in September 1983, because of the American naval bombardments; secondly in March 1984, after U.S. troops left Lebanon and because of internal political pressure brought to bear on the PSP/PLA to withdraw from Souk El Gharb; and thirdly in 1987, after the PLA temporarily took control of the area, a quarrel between Druze troops allowed the Lebanese Army's Fifth Brigade to retake the town, which they held until October 13, 1990, when it fell to an alliance of Druze PSP/PLA, Christian Lebanese Forces – Executive Command (LFEC) and Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) militias and Syrian Army troops.