(PARIS, FRANCE) — Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri says Saudi-financed weapons for Lebanon’s army will soon arrive as part of a $1 billion grant from Saudi Arabia to help it fight Islamist militants spilling over into Lebanon from Syria.
Hariri, who has close ties to the Saudi royal family, originally announced the deal after visiting King Abdullah in August, days after Islamist militants attacked and briefly seized the Lebanese border town of Arsal.
The Lebanese army has since stepped up its efforts to prevent fighters from crossing into Lebanon, but it is repeatedly calling for more military aid.
“In my opinion we need to do more,” Hariri said. “The Islamic State group is advancing and the Western alliance must be more concentrated on destroying all of the Islamic State. What we need is not strategic strikes, but strikes that really hurt the Islamic State.”
Hariri met with French President Francois Hollande to discuss the $1 billion deal and a second contract, which was agreed in December for which Riyadh agreed to grant Lebanon $3 billion to buy French weapons.
“With regard to the $1 billion that I am managing, in a few weeks, you’ll see results,” Hariri said. “It is finalized and some equipment will arrive soon.”
Lebanon has officially tried to distance itself from Syria’s conflict, but the country’s powerful Shi’ite movement Hezbollah has sent fighters to aid President Bashar al-Assad.
Lebanon, which is still rebuilding after its own 15-year civil war, has also seen clashes between gunmen loyal to opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, as well as militant strikes on the army and crossborder attacks by Syrian rebels.
Hezbollah itself suffered one of its biggest death tolls in a single action on Sunday after 10 of its fighters were killed in clashes with fighters from Nusra Front in eastern Lebanon.