Lebanese Army Receives First Batch of US Aircrafts

An A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft is seen in Hamat Air Base in Lebanon’s mountains October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim
An A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft is seen in Hamat Air Base in Lebanon’s mountains October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim
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Lebanese Army Receives First Batch of US Aircrafts

An A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft is seen in Hamat Air Base in Lebanon’s mountains October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim
An A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft is seen in Hamat Air Base in Lebanon’s mountains October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Ibrahim

The Lebanese Army received on Tuesday two US A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft, within the framework of the US military aid program to Lebanon, during a ceremony held at the “Hamat” airbase in the area of Batroun, north of the country.

Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, US Ambassador Elizabeth Richard, US Central Command Air Force Commander General for Southwest Asia Jeffrey Harrigian and a number of Lebanese and American officers attended the ceremony.

The planes will be used as armed observation aircraft, a security source in Lebanon told Reuters, adding that such a move would represent a big upgrade for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

In a speech on the occasion, Aoun said the two new aircraft - which have advanced combat and surveillance capabilities - would “make a qualitative leap in improving the aerial capabilities of the LAF.”

The army commander expressed his gratitude for the “American support, which contributed to the activation of the army’s capabilities in the face of terrorism.”

Richard, for her part, said the significant increase in LAF combat capability would ensure that the Army would remain a national unifying force, “a bulwark against extremism and terrorism.”

“We have recently announced another $120 million in foreign military financing, which brings the total investment in the LAF to over $160 million just this year,” she added.

The Lebanese army commander held a meeting last week with the US Ambassador and British Ambassador Hugo Shorter, during which Lebanese officers presented the needs of the Lebanese army in weapons, ammunition and equipment as part of its counterterrorism efforts, within the framework of annual programs agreed upon since 2009.



Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)

The Sudanese army carried out a surprise military operation in the early hours of Saturday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, regaining several positions in the city’s far southwest that it had previously abandoned to advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Military sources reported that calm returned to El Fasher after intense clashes on Friday between the army and RSF fighters, who attempted a major offensive to deepen their hold inside the city. In a statement, the army said its Sixth Infantry Division successfully repelled a fresh RSF attack, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, and restored control over all frontline areas.

RSF militants had infiltrated southern neighborhoods, seizing the Central Security Reserve headquarters and the Shalla prison. According to army sources, these forces were pushed back through ground combat supported by extensive drone strikes, forcing them to retreat to their original positions. The sources confirmed there were no significant breakthroughs or territorial gains by the RSF following the operation.

In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Kamel Idris expressed “deep anger, pain, and responsibility” over the worsening humanitarian disaster in El Fasher. He condemned the “suffocating and inhumane siege imposed by the RSF militia,” describing it as “one of the most brutal cases of collective extortion and systematic starvation in recent history.”

Idris vowed that the government would not stand idly by in the face of this “atrocious” crime and pledged to use all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means to break the siege and ensure urgent aid reaches civilians trapped in El Fasher amid widespread starvation and international silence.

He called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with international and humanitarian organizations, to act immediately to pressure the militia to open humanitarian corridors and end the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The prime minister highlighted the RSF’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands lifting the siege on El Fasher, and their rejection of UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. He held the militia responsible for obstructing aid and accountable for the ongoing starvation and terror inflicted on civilians.

Idris warned against silence over these crimes, including the killing of civilians fleeing the siege and bombardments. He also cited the systematic destruction of hospitals by RSF suicide drone and strategic attacks, threatening the lives of millions of innocent civilians.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a major crime committed in full view and hearing of the world,” he said, urging the international community to move beyond lukewarm statements to real action and pressure on those besieging, starving, and attacking civilians.

The RSF continues to attempt to seize the city and its army base, the last stronghold of government forces across all Darfur states. Military sources said defenders repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.

The RSF has maintained a tight siege on El Fasher since May 2024, blocking all roads and supply routes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths from starvation and medical shortages.