Lebanese Prime Minister: The army's presence in the south is a state presence - Sarmad

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Friday that the presence of the Lebanese Army in the south is not merely a military deployment, but a state presence, and that every site where the army is deployed is a site where the state reclaims its sovereignty, authority, and prestige.

This statement came during his address to military personnel at the Benoit Barakat barracks, as part of a visit to Sidon to inspect the operations of the Lebanese Army’s South Litani sector.

Salam said that his government continues to work by mobilizing all possible Arab and international support to develop the human capabilities of the army, modernize its equipment, and improve the living and social conditions of its members.

Addressing the soldiers, he said: “I recognize the scale of the challenges you face, as well as the burdens you bear amid ongoing Israeli aggression. But I also know that sovereignty can only be restored by building a capable state, and a state cannot be capable without a single, strong army.”

He added, “We want this south, as well as all of Lebanon, to be under the authority of a single state, and for citizens to feel secure because they have an army to protect them, and for the country to enjoy stability as the state and its constitutional institutions reclaim their authority over war and peace.”