jun 30, 1981 - End of the Battle of Zahleh
Description:
After a series of Arab interventions and tries, a solution was finally reached in late June 1981.[58] It was decided that the Syrians would abandon their positions around Zahle, and the Lebanese Forces would be replaced by Lebanese Internal Security Forces. This solution was considered a victory for the Lebanese Forces since they were able to resist the Syrian attack and keep the city free from foreign occupation. After 3 months of destruction, death, blood, and tears, Zahle breathed a sigh of relief. The Zahliots welcomed the Lebanese ISF with rice and roses, and they cried during the departure of the Lebanese Forces. One of the Zahliots said "We don't want to leave the fighters who defended our town with their blood, but we also cannot reject the peace and the arrival of the government forces."[59]
Bachir was afraid that the Syrians would attack Zahle after the Lebanese Forces leaft, so they kept a small team just in case.[60]
The Lebanese Forces were supposed to surrender the heavy weapons to the Syrians, but they rejected that. Instead, the Syrians produced some equipment that doesn't work so that the press had something to photograph. Of course, nobody believed that these were the only weapons that were used in resisting a 3 months full-scale attack, but they couldn't do anything about it.[61]
During the return to Beirut, the people in all areas threw rice over the fighters in the buses until they reached the huge ceremony that was done on their behalf in Karantina. Bachir decorated them with medals for their tremendous resistance and in his speech he told them "You can now rest because Zahle remained Lebanese and free".
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Lebanese Civil War
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