Scores of Egyptian military advisers have been sent to Lebanon in the past two months as part of growing military co-operation between the two countries, sources in Cairo and Beirut told The National.
They said weaponry from Egypt – including armoured vehicles and air defence equipment – were also scheduled to be sent to Lebanon. The sources, however, cautioned that the advisers and weapons are intended to support the Lebanese government's efforts to strengthen state institutions through the military.
In addition to the advisers and weapons, Egypt is helping the Lebanese military set up a secure communications network, upgrade its intelligence-gathering and processing capabilities, as well as monitor systems.
The advisers, they said, were training Lebanese troops on counter-terrorism and border security. Members of the Lebanese military have also received training in Egypt, they added.
The sources did not give a precise figure for the size of the Egyptian mission in Lebanon, saying only that the number of advisers is in the low dozens.
“The Egyptians agreed to do this to strengthen the capabilities of the army, not to help it
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