STORY: Lebanese army to strengthen presence in south: PM
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 21, 2024
DATELINE: Nov. 23, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:38
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati inspecting Lebanese army troops at the Ministry of Defense headquarters
2. various of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati laying wreath at the tomb of unknown soldiers

STORYLINE:

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Thursday that the Lebanese army is "preparing to strengthen its military presence in the south," according to a statement by the Lebanese Council of Ministers.
   
Mikati made the remarks as the country marked its 81st Independence Day, which falls on Nov. 22 annually, saying, "The army is offering sacrifices with the lives of its officers and personnel in defense of the homeland, its sovereignty and independence."
   
Meanwhile, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun assured that the Lebanese army would continue to work with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon under Resolution 1701.
   
"Our forces stand alongside their people, fulfilling their national duty, and carry out their missions despite the challenges and dangers they face," he said.
   
Lebanon's 81st Independence Day came at a time amid the continued Hezbollah-Israel conflict.
  
Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has intensified its air attack on Lebanon in an escalation of conflict with Hezbollah.

At least 11 people were killed and 63 others injured on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike at dawn targeting a residential building in Lebanon's capital Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)