Source: Kataeb.org
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Tuesday 7 January 2025 17:51:37
Army Expands Presence in Southern Lebanon as Ceasefire Agreement Advances
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced on Tuesday that it has begun to establish a presence in key areas previously occupied by Israeli forces. As part of the ongoing transition process, the army has deployed units to strategic locations, including Ras al-Naqoura, Alma Shaab, Tayr Harfa, Beit Leif, and other towns in the Western and Central sectors of southern Lebanon. This follows the withdrawal of Israeli forces from these regions, marking the first phase of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
The LAF's efforts include the clearance of unexploded ordnance, opening roads, and removing debris to ensure the safety and security of civilians in the area. Specialized engineering units are working diligently to neutralize any remaining threats posed by unexploded munitions, with hundreds of items being removed on a weekly basis.
بدء انتشار وحدات من الجيش للتمركز في رأس الناقورة وعلما الشعب وطير حرفا - صور وبيت ليف - بنت جبيل pic.twitter.com/Q9gKYkh6jz
— kataeb.org (@kataeb_Ar) January 7, 2025
The U.S. embassy in Beirut issued a statement saying that Major General Jasper Jeffers, the Chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, was joined by French Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin on a visit to the LAF's 5th Brigade headquarters in southwest Lebanon on Tuesday.
The headquarters is five kilometers northeast of Naqoura, a town under the control of the LAF after the first phase of withdrawal by Israeli forces on January 6th.
Generals Jeffers and Ponchin viewed stockpiles of weapons to be destroyed in the coming days, which the LAF seized from unauthorized armed groups.
“The LAF is the legitimate security provider for Lebanon and continues to demonstrate to me and the rest of the Mechanism it has the capability, intent, and leadership to secure and defend Lebanon. They have acted decisively, rapidly, and with clear expertise," Jeffers said. "Today, we saw an example of this with the soldiers of the 5th Brigade. The engineer corps in particular is full of true professionals, removing and rendering safe hundreds of pieces of unexploded ordnance every week,”