By Wassim Seifeddine

BEIRUT 

The U.S. government has sent a new military aid delivery to the Lebanese military with a view to improving the security of the country’s borders, the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in a Friday statement.

“On behalf of the U.S., Ambassador Elizabeth Richard today presented over 1,000 machine guns to the Lebanese Armed Forces as part of the LAF’s ongoing efforts to improve border security,” the statement read.

At an official handover ceremony in the Lebanese town of Kfarshima, Richard stressed the “important role” played by the LAF in addressing the “serious challenges” faced by Lebanon, “many of which are related to the conflict in Syria”, according to the statement.

The weapons delivery, Richard was quoted as saying, “is another example of the U.S. government’s policy of augmenting the LAF’s ability to carry out its mission as sole defender of Lebanon”.

The ambassador said earlier that, as of the end of last year, the U.S. had provided Lebanon with more than $220 million in military aid, making Lebanon the fifth largest recipient of U.S. military assistance.