1/9/2026
The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces, in cooperation with the Vehicle and Machinery Registration Authority, organized a training course at the Internal Security Forces Institute – Aramoun for candidates seeking a driving instructor license. The candidates completed a specialized training program after obtaining a Technical Superior (TS) diploma in Traffic Studies.
On 27 August 2026, under the patronage of Internal Security Forces Director General Major General Raed Abdallah, a graduation and certificate-awarding ceremony was held at the Institute’s Major General Ambassador Ahmad El-Hajj Hall, following the trainees’ completion of the program.
The ceremony was attended by ISF Institute Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Abla; course coordinator between the ISF Institute and the Vehicle and Machinery Registration Authority and Head of the Public Relations Division, Brigadier General Joseph Mousallem; First and Second Assistant Commanders of the Institute, Brigadier Generals Saadallah Semrout and Ahmad Ali Ahmad; Officers’ College Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Abou Daher; as well as officers, civilian instructors, graduates, and other Institute officers.
Remarks by Institute Commander Brigadier General Ahmad Abla:
On behalf of ISF Director General Major General Raed Abdallah, and on my own behalf, I welcome you to the Internal Security Forces Institute.
Given Lebanon’s economic circumstances and their impact on infrastructure, the suspension of vehicle inspections, the high number of road accidents and fatalities, as well as reckless driving and disregard for traffic laws by some motorists, this first-of-its-kind course is intended to strengthen road safety, reduce accidents, and ensure that citizens wishing to learn to drive are trained in proper driving principles in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
At the Internal Security Forces Institute, we are committed to organizing such courses and promoting road safety, alongside the many academic, theoretical, and practical training programs we provide.
Today, we are pleased to graduate the first class of the Driving Instructor License course. Congratulations on your graduation. I encourage you to make the fullest possible use of the knowledge and experience you have acquired to educate and train citizens.
Finally, we thank Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad Hajjar for supporting this course, as well as Head of the Vehicle Registration Authority Brigadier General Nazih Kobrossli for his efforts to introduce specialized instructors into driving schools.
Long live the Internal Security Forces, and long live Lebanon.
Remarks by Course Coordinator Brigadier General Joseph Mousallem:
Today’s occasion goes beyond receiving a certificate: you are taking on a responsibility.
This certificate is the culmination of a long period of study, specialization, and training. You began this journey after completing your TS in Traffic Studies, and today you are completing an essential stage on your path to becoming driving instructors. For us, however, this is not the end goal; it is the beginning of much greater ambitions.
For years, we have had a dream: to establish genuine driving schools in Lebanon—schools that do not merely teach people how to operate a vehicle, but teach them how to protect their own lives and the lives of others.
You are therefore not simply the first class of driving instructors; you are part of a foundational stage at the national level. Tomorrow, you will return to your communities, schools, and students and teach them not only traffic laws, but also a road culture that protects lives, an ethic of driving that promotes safety, and a concept of road safety that reflects civic responsibility.
Traffic law is not merely a collection of rules and penalties. It affects every citizen and every road user and can serve as a means of teaching responsibility, respect, ethics, national belonging, and how we communicate with one another on the road.
With road accidents and fatalities reaching an alarming level, your mission is to help build a common language of the road for all road users in Lebanon—a language understood and respected by everyone, one that recognizes that the road does not belong to any one person and that behind every car, every motorcycle, and every road user is a human being whose family is waiting for them to return home.
Like many developed countries, we can significantly reduce road fatalities. This is an enormous responsibility because it touches directly on the balance between life and death. We can achieve this if we work together, change our driving culture, and make road safety a conviction, a philosophy, and a way of life rather than merely a subject taught in the classroom.
Your true success will not be measured by the number of people you teach to drive, but by the number of people you help return safely to their homes and families.
I hope this certificate marks the beginning of a new journey that we will continue together toward genuine driving schools, more responsible drivers, and safer roads.
Congratulations to everyone. Our shared mission is to contribute to the development of our country, the advancement of our society, and the protection of the lives of all those who live here.
Long live road safety, and long live the youth of Lebanon.
During the ceremony, the graduates took the Driving Instructor’s Oath (“Waad Alayye”). Brigadier Generals Ahmad Abla, Joseph Mousallem, and Ahmad Abou Daher, together with Bassam Dagher, Secretary of the Association of Driving School Owners in Lebanon, then presented the graduates with their certificates. Commemorative photographs were taken at the conclusion of the ceremony.
The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement: First – Between Dahr el-Baidar and Hammana As a reminder, further to our statement issued on 3 September 2026, a contracting company will begin asphalt paving works on the Damascus International Road on 5 September 2026, between the Dahr el-Baidar checkpoint and the Hammana intersection, as well as from the Alban Hadwan area to the Qab Elias intersection. The works will take place from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and are expected to continue for between one week and ten days. Second – Baabdat On 6 September 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., a car race will take place in the Baabdat – Sfayleh area, from near the Besançon School in Baabdat to the Sfayleh area near the Lebanese Army checkpoint. Third – Jbeil On 6 September 2026, starting at 7:00 a.m., an aquathlon, consisting of swimming and running events, will take place along the coast from Bouar Port, passing by Mar Doumit Church, then down toward Mar Takla Church, and continuing to the Jbeil fishing harbor. Several internal roads will be closed, including those around Mina el-Ain, Bouar fishing harbor, Anchor Club to the left at the end of Mar Youssef Street, Saint Takla, and the fishing harbor. Citizens are kindly requested to comply with the instructions of Internal Security Forces personnel and the traffic signs installed at the aforementioned locations in order to facilitate traffic flow and prevent congestion.
5/9/2026
The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement: The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces is circulating the description of the body of an unidentified man, found in an advanced state of decomposition and severe deterioration by a patrol of the Lebanese Army Naval Forces on 4 September 2026. The body was found floating offshore, off the coast of Borgholiyeh, and was transferred to the morgue at Hiram Hospital. Description of the body: The deceased is a man in his forties, approximately 175 cm tall, with black hair streaked with grey, a grown beard and moustache, and a heavy build. His skin shows signs of severe sun exposure, and his left hand is amputated. The Directorate General asks his relatives or anyone with information about him to contact the Abbassiyeh Police Station of the Territorial Gendarmerie Unit at 07-380119, so that the necessary legal procedures can be completed and the body, currently held at the aforementioned hospital morgue, can be claimed.
5/9/2026
The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement: On 19 August 2026, the owner of a gas station in Sarba reported that one of his employees: H. A. (born in 2003, Syrian national), had stolen a pouch belonging to the gas station containing approximately US$1,700 and fled to an unknown location. Following the complaint, specialized units of the Information Branch launched field and intelligence operations to locate and apprehend the suspect. Investigations led to the identification of his residence in the Deir el-Zahrani area. On 20 August 2026, following close surveillance and monitoring, a Branch patrol arrested him in the aforementioned area, accompanied by: Kh. Y. (born in 1998, Syrian national). A search of the residence where they were staying resulted in the seizure of: 84 Captagon pills; A quantity of hashish; A precision scale and booklets of rolling papers; Sharp objects and a pistol-shaped lighter; 7 mobile phones and two SIM cards. The two detainees and the seized items were handed over to the competent authority for the necessary legal action, pursuant to the instructions of the competent judicial authority.
5/9/2026
The Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces – Public Relations Division issued the following statement: As part of the Internal Security Forces’ ongoing efforts to combat various forms of crime, particularly human trafficking and prostitution-related activities, on 24 August 2026, the Anti-Human Trafficking and Morals Protection Bureau of the Judicial Police Unit received information indicating that several women were soliciting customers among motorists and passers-by along the coastal road in the Jiyeh area and engaging in prostitution inside chalets in the area. Following this information, and after coordinating with the competent judicial authority, a Bureau unit proceeded to the location and arrested five women, two Lebanese nationals and three Syrian nationals, as well as an Iraqi national responsible for the chalets, on suspicion of facilitating prostitution. During questioning, the five women admitted to soliciting customers and engaging in prostitution inside the chalets, facilitated by the aforementioned manager and another employee who worked at night, with the knowledge of the chalet owner. As the investigation continued, the employee and the chalet owner were summoned. The employee appeared and, during questioning, admitted to the allegations against him, while the chalet owner failed to appear. Pursuant to the instructions of the competent judicial authority, all those involved were arrested. Fourteen chalets, as well as the hotel’s main entrance, were placed under judicial seal. A search and investigation notice was also issued for the chalet owner, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend him.
4/9/2026
