List of militias in the Lebanese Civil War


The list of militias in the Lebanese civil war does not include the "legal" Lebanese Army; note that the Army split into two major parts:
In addition, there was an autonomous faction within the "legal" Lebanese Army called the Army of Free Lebanon. It formed in 1976 and was composed of Maronites and Greek-Catholics reacting against the split with the mainly Muslim Lebanese Arab Army. It continued to be paid by the government, and was fully re-integrated into the "legal" army in 1978, with the exception of some units which chose instead to form the South Lebanon Army listed below.
MilitiaPolitical OrganizationMain factionCommunityNotes
Lebanese ForcesLebanese Front ; Lebanese Forces Party
led by Samir Geagea, emerged from LF structure.		Lebanese FrontMaroniteInitially an umbrella organization for Maronite
party militias; became an independent power
structure in the year 1992.
Kataeb Regulatory ForcesKataebLebanese FrontMaronite
Kataeb Security SectionsKataebLebanese FrontMaroniteThe Kataeb party's "police militia"
First commander was Bashir Gemayel
Tigers MilitiaNational Liberal PartyLebanese FrontMaronite
Zgharta Liberation Army
Marada MovementLebanese Front MaroniteOperated around its
power-base in northern Lebanon; pro-Syrian after 1978
Guardians of the CedarsLebanese Renewal PartyLebanese FrontMaroniteExtremist group
"The Organization"
In Arabic: At-tanzim		Cedars MovementLebanese FrontMaroniteSecretive, was possibly
linked to Lebanese Army
South Lebanon ArmyGovernment of Free LebanonGovernment of Free LebanonMaronite-led,
Muslim recruits		Israeli proxy
Lebanese Forces – Executive CommandPromise Party formed by Hobeika and loyalists.MaroniteNotorious Lebanese Forces splinter group
led by Hobeika; pro-Syrian
Lebanese Arab ArmyLebanese National Movement's
government		LNM/LNRFSunni.Broke away from Lebanese Army;
considered itself the legitimate Lebanese Army
and at highpoint controlled
3/4 of Lebanese Army positions
Arab Red KnightsArab Democratic PartyLNRMAlawitePro-Syrian;
Small but received very considerable
support from Syria's Alawite leader;
eventually controlled Tripoli harbour
People's Liberation ArmyProgressive Socialist PartyLNM/LNRFDruzePower base in the Chouf
mountains south of Beirut
Lebanese Resistance Regiments
Amal MovementLNM/LNRFShi'aMilitia created with Fatah support
Islamic ResistanceHezbollahLNM/LNRFShi'aEvolved from Amal in early 1980s,
initially as Iranian proxy
Palestine Liberation Organization's
affiliated militias
Palestine Liberation OrganizationPalestinian PalestinianDifferent PLO militias often fought
as proxies of different Arab states,
including Syria, Iraq, & Libya
Palestinian Liberation Armypurely nominally, under the
Palestinian Liberation Organization		Pro-SyriaPalestinianUnder Syrian command
Popular GuardLebanese Communist PartyLNM/LNRFSecularSecular, but most members nominally
from Orthodox & Armenian communities
SSNP militiaSyrian Social Nationalist Party
LNM/LNRFSecularAdvocated union with Syria;
1976 split into pro- and anti-Assad factions
members linked to assassinations
of Jumblatt and Gemayel
Al-MourabitounIndependent Nasserite MovementLNM/LNRFSunni
TawheedIslamic Unification MovementSunniIslamist movement, mainly fought
the Syrian army and its allies in Tripoli
Divisions of VictoryUnion of Toiling Peoples Forces
LNM/LNRFMuslimPro-Syrian
Ba'ath militiasArab Socialist Ba'ath PartyLNM/LNRFSecularSplit into two rival Ba'ath militias,
one pro-Iraqi,
the other pro-Syrian