Druze militias

E595187

Druze militias were armed groups drawn from Lebanon’s Druze community that played a central role in the country’s civil war, particularly in defending Druze areas and asserting communal power during conflicts such as the Mountain War of 1983–1984.

Jump to: Statements Referenced by

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf military organization
non-state armed group
sectarian militia
activeInPeriod 1975–1990
alliedWith Palestine Liberation Organization NERFINISHED
Syrian government (various phases of the war) NERFINISHED
leftist Lebanese factions
baseOfOperations Aley District NERFINISHED
Baabda District NERFINISHED
Chouf District NERFINISHED
Mount Lebanon NERFINISHED
ceasefireInvolvement local truces and power-sharing arrangements during the civil war
conflict Lebanese Civil War NERFINISHED
country Lebanon
disarmamentProcess post-Taif Agreement demobilization
engagedIn armed confrontations with state forces at times
sectarian clashes with Christian militias
ethnicGroup Druze NERFINISHED
fundingSources external support from regional actors
local taxation and levies in controlled areas
ideology Lebanese leftism
communal self-defense
impact demographic displacement in the Chouf and surrounding areas
languageOfCommand Arabic
leader Walid Jumblatt NERFINISHED
legacy integration of some fighters into Lebanese state institutions
persistence of local patronage networks in Druze areas
notableConflict Mountain War (1983–1984) NERFINISHED
notableOrganization People's Liberation Army (Lebanon) NERFINISHED
opponent Israeli Defense Forces NERFINISHED
Lebanese Forces militia NERFINISHED
pro-Israeli militias in Lebanon
politicalAlignment Lebanese National Movement NERFINISHED
Progressive Socialist Party NERFINISHED
predecessorLeader Kamal Jumblatt NERFINISHED
primaryFunction protection of Druze civilians
territorial control in Druze-majority areas
primarySupportBase Druze villages in Aley
Druze villages in the Chouf
Druze villages in the southern Mount Lebanon region
recruitmentBase male Druze youth
region Middle East
religiousCommunity Druze community in Lebanon
roleInConflict assertion of Druze communal power
defense of Druze-populated areas
tactics control of road networks in Mount Lebanon
guerrilla warfare
mountain warfare

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.