Lebanese army says it has achieved goal of state monopoly on arms in the south in 'effective and tangible way'

The army had set a year-end deadline to clear non-state weaponry ⁠from ‌southern ⁠Lebanon, which borders Israel, before moving on to other ‍areas of the country. It said it had ​extended operational control over the south, except ⁠for areas still occupied by Israeli troops.

The Lebanese army said on Thursday that ‌it had achieved the goal of a state monopoly ⁠on arms in the country’s south in an "effective and tangible way", but said there was more ​work to be done to clear ‍unexploded ordnance and tunnels in the area. The army had set a year-end deadline to clear non-state weaponry ⁠from ‌southern ⁠Lebanon, which borders Israel, before moving on to other ‍areas of the country.

It said it had ​extended operational control over the south, except ⁠for areas still occupied by Israeli troops. The statement ⁠did not mention Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which fought a year-long war with ⁠Israel that ended in a 2024 ceasefire that ⁠stipulated ‌that only Lebanon’s state security forces were allowed to carry arms.