Lebanese army said dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure near Israel border at better-than-expected pace

Lebanon’s army has dismantled most of Hezbollah’s posts and weapons stockpile in the country’s south, with the help of Israeli intelligence passed along by the US, and Israeli and American officials are pleasantly surprised by the progress, according to The Wall Street Journal, which also cites Arab officials in its report.

The army still faces the challenge of completing the job in the south — in accordance with last year’s ceasefire agreement — and implementing its plan to disarm the Iran-backed terror group and assert its control over the entire country.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says in an interview with the US outlet that his government has achieved 80% of its objectives in disarming militias in the south.

“All over the Lebanese territory, the state should have a monopoly on arms,” Salam says, banging his fists on a table. “We don’t want to put the country onto a civil-war track, but believe me, this is not going to affect our commitment to the need to extend and consolidate the authority of the state.”

An IDF official is quoted as saying: “We do see a lot of areas where the Lebanese army is way more effective than expected. The IDF is generally pleased by this trend and we are expecting it to continue.”