By Sondoss Al Asaad
BEIRUT — With the Israeli enemy maintaining continuous attacks from the south and the resurgence of ISIS and other extremist groups in Syria, Lebanon faces unprecedented security challenges.
These pressures compound the existing burden on the Lebanese Army, which must navigate internal political complexities while relying on limited material support.
The volatile situation across the border, combined with regional power struggles, makes Lebanon both a frontline state and a testing ground for broader geopolitical conflicts.
While the international community allegedly emphasizes strengthening the Lebanese Army’s presence in southern Litani, the eastern and northern borders remain critical points of concern, drawing attention from global actors, particularly the “Five Eyes” alliance.
The situation is further complicated by uncertainties surrounding prisons and refugee camps that house ISIS members from Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, and by ongoing tensions between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
These developments have prompted Lebanon and its neighbors to implement direct border security measures, including concrete barriers and other infrastructure.
Iraq has completed approximately 80% of its 618-kilometer border wall with Syria, Jordan has begun a 375-kilometer concrete barrier, and Turkey has expanded its Syrian border wall to over 800 kilometers, making it one of the world’s longest international border walls.
Lebanon, constrained by limited resources, cannot construct a continuous barrier along its Syrian frontier.
Nonetheless, it is seeking international support to enhance border security, particularly along its northern and eastern boundaries.
Army Commander General Rudolph Heikal recently highlighted the urgent need to expand and equip military units amid rising threats during a meeting of the Supreme Oversight Committee on border protection, attended by U.S., British, and Canadian officials.
Western priorities focus on curbing smuggling and preventing Hezbollah from rearming, but Lebanese and international security officials are equally concerned about the infiltration of extremists and the risk of organized attacks within Lebanon.
The Army has begun forming a fifth border battalion to support existing units deployed along the northern, eastern, and southern borders. These deployments are reinforced by observation towers and infrastructure funded by U.S.-British support, tailored to the country’s challenging terrain.
Despite these measures, threats persist. Hezbollah’s opposition to the second phase of the Army’s plan north of the Litani, combined with the resurgence of ISIS near Homs and other border regions, highlights Lebanon’s vulnerability.
Escapes from Syrian prisons and the movement of fighters—including women—into Lebanese territory demonstrate the group’s continued capacity to penetrate the border, a development closely monitored by Western intelligence agencies.
Meanwhile, southern Lebanon continues to endure repeated attacks by the Israeli enemy, including airstrikes in the Bekaa Valley and southern villages.
The inactivity of the so–called “mechanism committee” has weakened Lebanon’s defensive posture, while the enemy seeks to bypass ceasefire agreements and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, pressuring Lebanon toward direct negotiations under American supervision.
Lebanon’s security challenges reflect the convergence of regional instability, porous borders, extremist resurgence, and foreign military aggression.
While the Lebanese Army is expanding and fortifying its capabilities, political inertia and domestic tensions threaten to undermine these efforts, leaving the country exposed to ongoing threats on multiple fronts.
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