BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army is set to fully disarm Hezbollah near the border with Israel within three months, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi told AFP on Tuesday.
In August, the Lebanese government ordered the military to draw up plans to disarm the once-dominant militant group by the end of the year, having come under pressure from the United States and Israeli strikes.
The cabinet said last week that the army would begin implementing the plan, without disclosing details.
Raggi said army chief Rodolphe Haykal had presented the government with a five-stage plan last week to ensure all weapons are held by the Lebanese state.
The first stage should take “three months... during which the removal of weapons will be completed south of the Litani River,” around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from Israel, by the end of November.
