Lebanese army appeals for international assistance
The Lebanese Armed Forces are appealing for financial support from international donors to fight extremist groups in the country.
A few miles from Syria, at 1,750 meters (1 mile) above sea level, the Lebanese Armed Forces are building new observation towers at the northeastern border. A 10-meter-high (33-foot) radar will be installed soon above the dozen soldiers busy building new offices and dormitories.
“These radars helped us detect IS [Islamic State] movements before we fought them last summer,” Lt. Col. Mohammad Abbas, from the 2nd Land Border Regiment, told Al-Monitor. In August, a military offensive resulted in a deal under which hundreds of rebels returned to Syria. According to Abbas, the nine observation towers and the three radars were donated in the past two years by the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively.
