CENTCOM commander visits Lebanon to oversee 1st withdrawal of Israeli troops

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla visited the Lebanese capital Beirut to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, according to a statement late Wednesday.

"Today, Dec. 11, Gen. Michael Kurilla traveled to Beirut, Lebanon and met with Gen. Joseph Aoun, Commander of the Lebanon Armed Forces, and Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, the co-chair of the implementation and monitoring mechanism for the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon," said CENTCOM.

"The leaders discussed ongoing efforts to advance a lasting cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon via the mechanism, which is chaired by the US and assisted by France, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and the Israel Defense Forces. Gen. Kurilla was present at the implementation and monitoring headquarters today during the ongoing first Israeli Defense Forces withdrawal and Lebanese Armed Forces replacement in Al Khiam, Lebanon as part of the agreement," it added.

This establishes the groundwork for further advancement and is an "important" first step in putting into effect a permanent halt to hostilities, Kurilla said.

Kurilla and Aoun also spoke about the security situation in Syria, how it affects regional stability, and how the Lebanese Armed Forces and CENTCOM should strengthen their military-to-military cooperation, the statement said.