Lebanese military says it completed first phase of disarmament plan.

The Lebanese military announced it has finished the first phase of a plan to deploy across southern Lebanon and restrict weapons held by non-state groups; officials say further government meetings are planned and the military will announce next stages.

The Lebanese military announced it has concluded the first phase of a plan to deploy across southern Lebanon and restrict weapons held by non-state groups. The statement did not single out any group by name and comes after a Washington-brokered ceasefire that ended the 2024 war with Israel. President Joseph Aoun is set to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the government to discuss deployment and disarmament plans. The military said it will soon announce the next stages of its plan. What is known: - The army said it completed the first phase of its plan to deploy in southern Lebanon and to limit weapons held by non-state actors. - Officials said meetings are planned between President Aoun, Prime Minister Salam and the government, and the military announced it will publish the next stages soon. - The government had set a deadline of the end of 2025 to clear the area south of the Litani River of non-state weapons, and officials say the next phase would focus on areas between the Litani and the Awali River, including Sidon, though no timeline has been provided. Summary: Lebanese authorities describe this as the completion of an initial phase in a wider effort to extend state control in southern Lebanon. The immediate next steps are government discussions and forthcoming military announcements, while timing for operations between the Litani and the Awali rivers remains undetermined. Officials also noted practical and political constraints, including ongoing Israeli strikes and differing positions on disarmament beyond the south.