New batch of US military aid delivered to Lebanon

BEIRUT (Xinhua) - The Lebanese army said Saturday that it received a shipment of weapons and ammunition as part of the United States military assistance program to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

"The Lebanese army's Logistics Brigade received at the Rafik Hariri International Airport a quantity of various arms and ammunition in the presence of army officers and members of the US defense cooperation bureau in Lebanon," the National News Agency reported, adding that the new batch is part of the US assistance program and of the commitments and agreements signed between the two sides.

A similar shipment was delivered on Aug. 29 as part of US military aid aimed at supporting the army in its combat of terrorism.

On Aug. 2, Syrian Islamist militants infiltrated the border town of Arsal after the arrest of al-Qaeda affiliated "al-Nusra Front" official Imad Jomaa.

The Lebanese army engaged in a fierce battle with these militants, leaving at least 18 soldiers killed and 86 others injured, while the gunmen withdrew after kidnapping 33 soldiers and Internal Security Forces members.

The development prompted the US to bolster the Lebanese army, while Saudi Arabia unveiled a grant of $1 billion dedicated to the military.