The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun (center), alongside the Minister of the Interior (left) Ahmad Hajjar and the Director General of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Raëd Abdallah, on April 3, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
The Internal Security Forces (ISF) are celebrating the 164th anniversary of their creation today. On this occasion, President Joseph Aoun delivered a speech in which he affirmed that the state "is committed to providing them all the necessary support to enable them to develop their capacities and improve the living conditions of their operatives."
The ISF carries out the role of the police in Lebanon. Like all other security services and the army, they have been severely affected by the crisis since 2019, particularly due to the depreciation of the national currency which has rendered their salaries worthless. Thousands of security agents have deserted their posts during these years. However, the current government has committed to improving their living conditions. It has just adopted a controversial measure to increase fuel prices to raise military salaries.
"The ISF are not just a simple security service, they represent a symbol of sacrifice and loyalty in the service of Lebanon and its people," the president also stated. "Like other security services, they are the guarantee of Lebanon's stability and the protection of its citizens."
Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar, the minister responsible for security services, also posted a message on X to mark the ISF anniversary. "On this day, which is yours, I can only bow before all the sacrifices each of you has made, and salute your continuous efforts to safeguard security and protect citizens," he wrote.
"You are the bulwark that ensures the stability of the country, the pillar on which it can rely in the darkest circumstances. Together, we will build a state worthy of the services you offer it, within which the people will live in well-deserved security and dignity."
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