Spanish military personnel provide a course on the disposal of explosive devices to the Lebanese Armed Forces

• This is the first time that this training has been held in Beirut; it has lasted eight weeks and has been attended by twelve Lebanese personnel

A Spanish instructor team (Mobile Training Team, MTT) has been deployed to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Engineer Regiment in Beirut to train twelve local military personnel. Specialists in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and reconnaissance (EOR) from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company of the 12th Bridging and Engineering Specialities Regiment in Zaragoza have travelled to the Lebanese capital.

The MTT has delivered this eight-week Level 2 Explosive Ordnance Disposal course in Beirut for the first time, teaching Lebanese military personnel how to safely destroy conventional munitions. This initiative responds to an official request from the Lebanese government to strengthen the LAF’s capabilities in this field.

It is worth noting that two reconnaissance courses were previously held in the Lebanese capital, which have increased the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces by more than forty specialists. Furthermore, over the last six months, other teams of instructors have carried out basic training on improvised explosive devices in Al-Salhiyeh (Sidon). With this, Spain becomes the first country to provide training in the deactivation of explosive devices to the Lebanese Armed Forces, leading the way in engineering training.

Over the next six weeks, the team of instructors, in coordination with the Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL), will deliver the theoretical and practical content required for the personnel’s certification. Once this initial phase is completed, the twelve Lebanese military personnel will be tested using live ammunition and will finally sit the examinations to obtain their certificate and specialisation.

Contribution to security

The course forms part of the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon (MTC4L), established in March 2024 and of which Spain is a founding member, whose main objective is to coordinate efforts to increase the efficiency and operational capability of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

By increasing the number of specialists available, it will be possible to save the lives of civilians living in areas affected by explosive remnants of war, as well as those of the military personnel who carry out daily tasks such as clearance operations, support for the civilian population and the removal of explosive devices.