Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ordered the army and security forces to tighten control over Beirut on April 9, 2026. The move restricts weapons possession to state forces only, following intense Israeli airstrikes on the capital’s southern suburbs.
Troops are now patrolling streets, clearing debris from bombardments, and preventing non-state actors from exploiting the chaos in largely evacuated areas. This comes as over 300 were killed in recent strikes, per Health Ministry reports.
Israel claims targets were Hezbollah sites; Lebanon calls it the deadliest day. Direct Israel-Lebanon talks approved, but no ceasefire yet.
