Lebanese Army receives third batch of US military aid

Beirut Feb 5 (IANS) The Lebanese Army has received the third batch of arms supplied by the US at the port of Beirut the army s Orientation Directorate has said.

"The eight M2A2 Bradley Fighting vehicles -- carriers of armed troops with a gun platform -- were delivered on Saturday as part of a larger US military assistance program to Lebanon launched last year " it said in a statement on Sunday Xinhua reported.

Under the programme the army will receive a total of 32 such vehicles in addition to six MD 530G light attack helicopters six Scan-Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles as well as communications and night vision devices it added.

Last year the Lebanese Army received eight Bradley Fighting vehicles and six A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from the US.

Since the war erupted between Israel and Lebanon s Shiite Hezbollah movement in 2006 the Lebanese army has received US military assistance worth more than $1.5 billion.

The US special forces have also provided training and support to the Lebanese troops.

--IANS
pgh/