28/9/2026
A graduation ceremony for a military and professional training course for personnel of the Directorate General of State Security was held earlier today, Monday, 28-09-2026, at the Martyr Major Wissam Eid Barracks – Internal Security Forces Institute in Aramoun.
The ceremony was attended by the Institute Commander, Brigadier General Ahmad Abla, representing the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Raed Abdallah; Brigadier General Youssef El Cheddiac, representing the Director General of State Security, Major General Edgard Lawandos; Criminal Judge Patricia Bou Abboud; Brigadier General Abbas Bou Hamdan, representing the Army Commander; Brigadier General Hadi Abou Chacra, representing the Director General of General Security; Lieutenant Colonel Abdelsalam Zarzour, representing the Director General of Customs; as well as officers from the Internal Security Forces and State Security, and the training officers and non-commissioned officers.
The ceremony began with the Lebanese national anthem.
This was followed by a parade of the participating forces to the music of the Internal Security Forces. Commemorative shields were then exchanged between the Internal Security Forces and State Security, followed by the oath-taking ceremony before Judge Bou Abboud and the naming of the course “Sword of the Nation”, after which a simulation of several security missions was carried out by a number of male and female graduates.
Brigadier General El Cheddiac then delivered a speech on behalf of Major General Lawandos, in which he said:
I am honored, on behalf of Major General Edgard Lawandos, Director General of State Security, to represent him at this ceremony marking the completion of the serious professional training you undertook with commitment and discipline, as you join the ranks of the Directorate General of State Security as of today.
This graduation is not merely a ceremonial occasion, but rather the culmination of strenuous efforts and fruitful joint cooperation with the Internal Security Forces Institute, within this educational institution that hosted your training, where officers and non-commissioned officers supervised your preparation and made great efforts to complete this mission. This cooperation among the security directorates is a model to be followed and reflects unity of purpose and the integration of roles in serving the nation and protecting its security and stability.
Dear graduates,
You were selected to join the State Security ranks based on competence and merit, and not on any other consideration. This requires you, starting today, to live up to the trust placed in you and prove worthy of it.
You will form the backbone and future of this Directorate General. There is no place for those who are negligent or complacent, who fail to keep pace with modern working methods or to continuously develop themselves. Modern security work does not tolerate stagnation and requires constant vigilance and continuous updating of knowledge and performance, particularly with regard to the tasks entrusted to State Security in combating corruption that has wreaked havoc in state ministries, administrations and treasury.
Always remember that you swore an oath to uphold the law and to place the national interest above all else. Your duty is to uphold the authority of the state with firmness and strength, but without abusing or exploiting authority for personal gain.
The leadership of the Directorate General of State Security is working to develop working mechanisms and introduce modern methods in administrative and security work in order to keep pace with the rapidly evolving nature of security challenges. The Directorate General is also working to strengthen the resilience of its personnel in various fields, particularly medical services.
In this context, the Directorate General has requested an increase in the financial allocations designated for medical care and medical and educational assistance. It has also given due priority to the social aspect by developing plans to establish cooperatives in various regions alongside health centers, as an expression of its commitment to caring for the large State Security family of serving personnel, retirees and their families, who remain an essential part of this Directorate General’s family. We will not forget their sacrifices and contributions.
You will join colleagues who have sacrificed greatly for the strength and resilience of this nation. On this occasion, we remember a group of your fellow martyrs who gave their lives in defense of their homeland. Live up to these sacrifices and spare no effort in protecting our beloved Lebanon.
In conclusion, I call on you to carry the State Security motto, “Trust, Protection and Security,” with pride and dignity, and to live up to the responsibility entrusted to you in serving the nation and protecting its security.
Long live the Directorate General of State Security, long live the Internal Security Forces, and long live Lebanon.
Brigadier General Abla then delivered a speech on behalf of Major General Abdallah, the text of which follows:
On behalf of the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Raed Abdallah, and on my own behalf, I welcome you to the Internal Security Forces Institute.
Today, after several months of training, we meet here at the Internal Security Forces Institute to celebrate the graduation of the “Sword of the Nation” course for State Security personnel who have chosen to assume a responsibility that goes beyond the boundaries of a job, becoming a commitment to serving the nation and its citizens.
The genuine training we always strive for does not merely graduate a security officer equipped with technical and field skills; it also builds a security professional capable of remaining steadfast in all situations, respecting people and the law, and acting with professionalism and responsibility.
Therefore, I say to you, dear graduates: you entered this institute as civilians, and today you graduate having acquired an awareness of responsibility and the weight of the trust entrusted to you. You graduated under difficult circumstances, and it is in difficult times that determination is tested, the meaning of belonging and citizenship is put to the test, and the true meaning of patriotism, of which the nation is proud, emerges.
As of today, you are part of the image of the institution to which you belong. Every action you take will carry its name, and every success will be credited to it. Live up to the trust placed in you and the responsibility you have chosen to shoulder. Remember that a security officer is not measured by his uniform and powers, but by the impact he leaves throughout his service: either he strengthens citizens’ trust in their institution or he weakens it. Therefore, genuine trust can only be built when citizens feel that the person standing before them is there to protect their rights, safeguard their security and preserve their dignity.
I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Major General Raed Abdallah, Director General of the Internal Security Forces, for his continued support and guidance. My thanks also go to the Director General of State Security for the continued trust placed in our training institution to host courses for preparing and qualifying security personnel. It is a trust we value and consider a responsibility that urges us to continue improving our performance and raising the standard of training. I also thank the Institute’s officers and personnel, as well as all the trainers who placed their expertise and knowledge at the service of the graduates, providing them with guidance, correcting their performance and encouraging them to develop their capabilities.
The success of this course is the result of a collective effort reflected in leadership that provided support, an institute that hosted the course, trainers who gave their best, families who offered support, and graduates who worked hard. To all of you, we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation.
I would also like to congratulate you today on your 41st anniversary, wishing you continued success.
In conclusion, a salute of respect to the martyrs of the security agencies, particularly the martyrs of the Directorate General of State Security who fell in the line of duty in sacrifice for the nation and in defense of security and citizens.
Long live our beloved homeland, Lebanon.
Finally, a cocktail reception was held, and commemorative photographs were taken.
Issued by the Internal Security Forces General Directorate – Public Relations Division The following statement: As part of the ongoing efforts of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to combat theft and pursue and arrest those responsible, and following several theft incidents recently reported in the southern suburbs of Beirut, personnel from the South Beirut Suburbs Judicial Detachment of the Judicial Police Unit intensified their inquiries and investigations to identify those involved. As a result of surveillance and tracking operations, a patrol from the Detachment arrested a man in the Chiyah area on suspicion of committing thefts in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He is identified as: M. A. K. (born in 1980, Lebanese national). Four motorcycles without valid legal documentation were also seized. It was found that an outstanding conviction against him was issued for a drug-related offense. Therefore, based on the instructions of the competent judicial authorities, the Internal Security Forces General Directorate is circulating his photograph and calls on anyone who has fallen victim to similar thefts and suspects that the detainee may be connected to them to appear at the aforementioned Detachment, located in the Ouzai area – Martyr Mustafa Ali Hassan Barracks, or to contact 01-451162, in order to take the necessary legal measures.
6/10/2026
Issued by the Internal Security Forces General Directorate – Public Relations Division The following statement: Further to our previous statement dated 09 September 2026 concerning the arrest of members of a drug trafficking network operated from abroad, personnel from the Mount Lebanon Investigations Detachment of the Regional Gendarmerie Unit carried out a series of raids and arrests between 12 and 21 September 2026. During this operation, they conducted 25 raids in Deir Qoubel, Tannourine, Halat, Baabdat, Al-Sabtieh, Baawerta – Aley, Ain El Remmaneh, Zouk, Ballouneh, Adma, Haret Sakher, Ain El Delb, Mansourieh, Tabarja, Kfarshima, Adonis, Bsalim, Ain El Rihaneh – Keserwan, Hazmieh, Ashrafieh, Fanar, and Bourj Hammoud. A total of 28 Lebanese nationals and one Kazakhstani woman were arrested, in addition to the seizure of large quantities of drugs and other items. Upon searching their places of residence, large and varied quantities of narcotic substances were seized, along with equipment used for their cultivation, manufacture, preparation, packaging, and consumption. These included hashish, marijuana and its seeds and seedlings, and various types of pills and narcotic substances, including Captagon, MD, LSD, DMT, ketamine, cocaine, basuco, and tramadol. Also seized were hallucinogenic mushrooms, as well as various liquid, oily, powder, solid and gel-like substances and other materials suspected of being narcotics, in addition to vape heads and cartridges containing various substances. Tools, equipment, and materials used in the cultivation, manufacture, preparation, packaging, and consumption of narcotics were also seized, including precision scales, grinders and choppers, a nylon bag press, vacuum bags, empty bags, containers and jars, packaging tools, tubes, droppers, needles and syringes, blades, pipes and glass smoking devices, vaping devices and related heads and cartridges, rolling papers and filters, containers and measuring instruments, strainers, trays, fans and ventilation equipment, lighting, drying and heating devices, soil and agricultural materials and supplies, seeds, planting containers, pressure cookers, sterilization, drying and grinding devices, a microscope, and various tools and equipment related to the cultivation and preparation of mushrooms and the packaging of narcotic substances. Weapons and ammunition were also found, including a number of military rifles, hunting rifles, military pistols and other pistols, magazines and ammunition of various calibers, and large quantities of live rounds. Two hand grenades without detonators were also seized, along with various knives and blades. A large number of mobile phones of various types were also seized, along with SIM cards, laptops, tablets, external hard drives, memory cards and USB drives, cameras, a drone with its remote control, DVR recording devices, routers, and various electronic equipment. The seized items also included sound and electrical equipment intended for events, including loudspeakers and their metal stands, amplifiers, audio distributors and mixers, microphones and microphone heads, various types of equipment, lighting equipment, regulators, electrical connectors and cables, as well as bags containing various sound and electrical equipment and supplies. Cash in Lebanese pounds, US dollars, and euros was also seized, in addition to play money bearing the words “PROP COPY” or “COPY”. Gold and silver jewelry and valuables were also seized, including chains, bracelets, rings, pieces and icons, as well as several silver ounces. Various documents and identification papers were also seized, including identity cards, passports, driving licenses, vehicle registration documents, university cards, health insurance cards, bank cards and residency permits, in addition to car and house keys and various personal belongings. Among the seized items were also two Honda vehicles, one CIVIC and the other ODYSSEY, in addition to a hunting rifle, a quantity of hunting ammunition, and equipment used for hunting, including sound devices, horns, and a hunting battery. At a number of locations, other materials and tools related to the investigation were also seized, including containers and bottles, various liquid substances, agricultural materials, glass and plastic containers, electrical tools, notebooks and notes, wallets and bags, electronic cards and SIM cards, and various personal belongings. All detainees and seized items were handed over to the relevant units for the necessary legal measures, based on the instructions of the competent judicial authorities.
6/10/2026
Issued by the Internal Security Forces General Directorate – Public Relations Division The following statement: As part of the ongoing efforts undertaken by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) to combat irregular migration from Lebanon to European countries via the northern Lebanese coast aboard unsafe vessels, and as a result of the intensive efforts carried out by the specialized units of the Information Branch, information was obtained concerning unidentified individuals preparing to smuggle Syrians by sea to Cyprus. Following this, the specialized units intensified surveillance operations in order to locate the aforementioned Syrians, arrest them, and thwart the smuggling operation as quickly as possible. As a result of inquiries and investigations, the room in which they were hiding pending the smuggling operation was identified in the Al-Aboudieh area. The room belonged to: M. M. (born in 1986, Syrian national). On 30 September 2026, following a careful surveillance operation, a patrol from the Branch raided the aforementioned room in Al-Aboudieh and arrested M. M., along with 9 Syrians. During questioning, they admitted that two individuals, one Lebanese and the other Syrian, had been preparing to smuggle them illegally to Cyprus and had charged them USD 5,000 per person. The necessary legal measures were taken against the detainees, who were handed over to the competent authorities upon the instructions of the competent judicial authorities. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining individuals involved.
6/10/2026
During its annual conference held in Bali, Indonesia, in September 2026, with the participation of police and security representatives and delegations from around the world, the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) awarded Brigadier General Elie Al-Asmar, Head of the Social Services Management Unit at the Internal Security Forces (ISF), its prestigious “Advocate Award”, marking a new international achievement that further strengthens the ISF’s presence in global security and policing forums. The award recognizes a quarter-century of work dedicated to supporting and promoting the role of women in the police and security sectors and in society, as well as the efforts made by Brigadier General Al-Asmar, at both the national and international levels, to develop inclusive frameworks that contribute to empowering female personnel and enhancing their presence and leadership participation across various missions and sectors. It also recognizes his contributions to promoting national, educational, and social principles stemming from the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, thereby strengthening women’s role and meaningful participation in the fields of security and peace. Brigadier General Al-Asmar received the award during the official ceremony held on the island of Bali, in the presence of security and police representatives and delegations from around the world. This recognition represents another international milestone for the Internal Security Forces and reflects the institution and its personnel’s growing presence in international forums through their expertise, initiatives, and efforts aimed at developing policing practices, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting the role of women in the security sector.
5/10/2026
