BEIRUT, Jan 8 (Reuters) - 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.
(Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
