US to provide $120 million military aid to Lebanon

The United States will provide Lebanon with a military aid worth $120 million to boost border security and counterterrorism operations, the US ambassador to Lebanon announced on Wednesday.

Lebanon will get six MD 530G light attack helicopters, six Scan Eagle drones, and communication and night vision equipment under the new programmes, reported CNN, citing Ambassador Elizabeth Richard as saying post a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri in Beirut.

Washington has been a major supporter of Lebanon's army and has provided more than $1 billion in military assistance to Lebanon since 2006 to help the country secure its borders and fight violent extremism, the report said.

Richard attended the meeting with Hariri along with Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the region.

The US considers Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group as a terrorist organisation.

According to the media reports, the Hezbollah group is a powerful military force in the country and also fights in Syria for President Bashar al-Assad.

US officials stress that arms supplied to the Lebanese Armed Forces are to support the government's authority.