6th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)

6th Infantry Brigade
Active	1982 – present
Country	Lebanon
Allegiance	Lebanon
Branch	Ground Forces
Type	Light Mechanized Infantry
Role	Infantry
Size	Brigade
Engagements	Lebanese Civil War Battle of Souk El Gharb - 1983
Commanders
General	Abd al-Halim Kanj

The 6th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) is a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War, being active since its creation in September 1982.

Origins

In the aftermath of the June–September 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, President Amin Gemayel, convinced that a strong and unified national defense force was a prerequisite to rebuilding the nation, announced plans to raise a 60,000-man army organized into twelve brigades (created from existing infantry regiments), trained and equipped by France and the United States. In late 1982, the 6th Infantry Regiment was therefore re-organized and expanded to a brigade group numbering 2,000 men.

Structure and organization

The new unit grew from an understrength battalion comprising three rifle companies to a fully equipped mechanized infantry brigade, capable of aligning an armoured battalion equipped with Panhard AML-90 armoured cars, AMX-13 light tanks, three mechanized infantry battalions issued with M113, Alvis Saracen and VAB armored personnel carriers (APC), plus an artillery battalion fielding US M114 155 mm howitzers. The Brigade also fielded a logistics battalion, equipped with US M151 1/4-Ton ‘Mutt’ jeeps, Chevrolet C20 and Dodge Ram (1st generation) technicals and US M35A2 2½-ton military trucks. The Brigade's strength initially stood at 2,000 men, mostly Shia Muslims, commanded by the Christian Colonel Lufti Jabar. Its mission had been to maintain order in West Beirut. It refused to participate in the February 1986 combat between the Shia Amal militia and the Lebanese Army, however; as a result, the Fifth Brigade was expelled form West Beirut. After the Sixth Brigade split off from the army command structure, it was taken over by a new officer, Shiite Major-General Abd al-Halim Kanj. Headquartered at the Henri Shihab Barracks in the south-western suburbs of Beirut, under the operational control of the Amal militia, the formation was subsequently enlarged to 6,000 men by absorbing Shia deserters from other Army units after they went over to their co-religionists of the Amal Movement following the collapse of the government forces in February 1984. By 1985 the Brigade aligned a tank battalion provided with 30 Syrian-loaned T-54/55 MBTs, three to four mechanized infantry battalions on tracked and wheeled APCs, and an artillery battalion equipped with Soviet 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) pieces. In 1987 the Sixth brigades deserted to join their coreligionists.

Combat history

Upon the end of the war in October 1990, the 6th Brigade was re-integrated into the structure of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

See also

• Amal Movement
• Lebanese Armed Forces
• Lebanese Civil War
• Lebanese Forces
• Mountain War (Lebanon)
• Progressive Socialist Party
• 4th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
• 5th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
• 7th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
• 8th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
• Weapons of the Lebanese Civil War

References

• Denise Ammoun, Histoire du Liban contemporain: Tome 2 1943-1990, Fayard, Paris 2005. ISBN 978-2-213-61521-9 (in French)
• Edgar O'Ballance, Civil War in Lebanon 1975-92, Palgrave Macmillan, London 1998. ISBN 0-333-72975-7
• Éric Micheletti and Yves Debay, Liban – dix jours aux cœur des combats, RAIDS magazine n.º41, October 1989 issue. ISSN 0769-4814 (in French)
• Ken Guest, Lebanon, in Flashpoint! At the Front Line of Today’s Wars, Arms and Armour Press, London 1994, pp. 97–111. ISBN 1-85409-247-2
• Matthew S. Gordon, The Gemayels (World Leaders Past & Present), Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. ISBN 1-55546-834-9
• Moustafa El-Assad, Civil Wars Volume 1: The Gun Trucks, Blue Steel books, Sidon 2008. ISBN 9953-0-1256-8
• Rex Brynen, Sanctuary and Survival: the PLO in Lebanon, Boulder: Westview Press, 1990.
• Robert Fisk, Pity the Nation: Lebanon at War, London: Oxford University Press, (3rd ed. 2001). ISBN 0-19-280130-9
• Samer Kassis, 30 Years of Military Vehicles in Lebanon, Beirut: Elite Group, 2003. ISBN 9953-0-0705-5
• Samer Kassis, Véhicules Militaires au Liban/Military Vehicles in Lebanon 1975-1981, Trebia Publishing, Chyah 2012. ISBN 978-9953-0-2372-4
• Samuel M. Katz, Lee E. Russel, and Ron Volstad, Armies in Lebanon 1982-84, Men-at-Arms series 165, Osprey Publishing, London 1985. ISBN 0-85045-602-9
• Samuel M. Katz and Ron Volstad, Arab Armies of the Middle East wars 2, Men-at-Arms series 194, Osprey Publishing, London 1988. ISBN 0-85045-800-5
• Steven J. Zaloga, Tank battles of the Mid-East Wars (2): The wars of 1973 to the present, Concord Publications, Hong Kong 1998. ISBN 962-361-613-9
• Yann Mahé, La Guerre Civile Libanaise, un chaos indescriptible (1975-1990), Trucks & Tanks Magazine n.º 41, January-February 2014, pp. 78-81. ISSN 1957-4193 (in French)

External links

• Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Official Website
• Lebanon Military Guide from GlobalSecurity.org
• CIA - The World Factbook - Lebanon
• Army Recognition Index of Lebanese Military Equipment
• Global Fire Power - Lebanon Military Strength
• Lebanon army trying to rearm and modernize itself
• Lebanese Military Wish List 2008/2009 - New York Times
• MilitaryPhotos.Net, Lebanese Army - Photos Thread
• MilitaryPhotos.Net, Lebanese Army - Discussions Thread