Beirut, Apr. 9 (SANA) Lebanon’s Council of Ministers on Thursday directed the army and security forces to immediately strengthen the full assertion of state authority across Beirut Governorate and restrict the possession of weapons exclusively to legitimate state institutions, amid escalating security concerns.
The decision was taken during a cabinet session chaired by President Joseph Aoun, which also approved the submission of an urgent complaint to the United Nations Security Council over the intensifying Israeli attacks that resulted in more than 1,400 casualties.
At the outset of the session, Aoun stated that he, alongside Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, is conducting diplomatic contacts with several friendly countries to ensure Lebanon is included in the ceasefire arrangement between the United States and Iran.
“We are a sovereign state that negotiates on its own behalf, and we do not accept that anyone negotiate for us,” Aoun affirmed.
For his part, Salam stressed the need to reinforce the deployment of security forces across administrative Beirut and prevent any unauthorized armed presence to safeguard civilians, property, and public order.
Following the session, Salam announced two key decisions: first, to file an urgent complaint with the Security Council regarding the escalating Israeli attacks, particularly those targeting Beirut on Wednesday, which caused significant civilian casualties; and second, to enforce state authority in line with the Taif Agreement by limiting arms possession to official forces and referring violators to the competent judiciary.
Israeli warplanes carried out their largest attacks on Lebanon since March 2 on Wednesday, with over 100 strikes on Beirut as well as areas in the Bekaa Valley and southern regions.
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