The Lebanese army, which has received more than $2.5 billion in aid from the United States since 2006, has made concerted efforts to curb the illicit commerce, erecting watchtowers near the border and carrying out ambushes of suspected smugglers, but has received no help from its Syrian counterparts on the other side of the border. Lebanon’s army, like the country, is also deeply demoralized and facing economic peril, with military salaries having lost most of their value and soldiers no longer receiving meat rations.

Source: Washington Post July 05, 2021 10:52 UTC