Internal Security Forces

This article is about the Lebanese security force. For Iraqi football club that once played under the name 'Internal Security Forces', see Al-Shorta SC. For the police of the de facto autonomous Rojava, see Asayish (NES regions).
Internal Security Forces
Forces de sécurité intérieure
قوى الأمن الداخلي
al-Mudiriyya al-'aamma li-Qiwa al-Amn al-Dakhili
AbbreviationISF
MottoSecurity for the Nation and Civilians
Agency overview
Formed1860
Employees40,000+
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionLebanon
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Paramilitary law enforcement, counter insurgency, and riot control.
Operational structure
HeadquartersBeirut
Agency executives
  • Major General Imad Osman, Commander
  • Brigadier General Naim Chammas, Chief of Staff
Notables
People
Website
isf.gov.lb

The Internal Security Forces (Arabic: المديرية العامة لقوى الأمن الداخلي, romanized: al-Mudiriyya al-'aamma li-Qiwa al-Amn al-Dakhili; French: Forces de Sécurité Intérieure; abbreviated ISF) are the gendarmerie and the national police of Lebanon.

Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with the creation of a gendarmerie force.[1] In April 2005, Ashraf Rifi became head of the ISF, replacing Ali Al Hajj.[2] Rifi then started to recruit younger members to become part of Lebanese Intelligence. His term ended in April 2013, and he was replaced by Roger Salem,[3] and Ibrahim Basbouss subsequently. On March 8, 2017, the Lebanese Cabinet appointed Imad Othman as the ISF director general. He took command the following day.[4]

The number of ISF personnel reached 30,000 by 2000 and grew to over 40,000 by 2013. The ISF National Day in Lebanon is on the 9th of June.[5]

  1. ^ "Historical overview". Interior Security Forces (Lebanon). Archived from the original on 2010-09-23. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  2. ^ "Lebanese security chiefs replaced". BBC. 28 April 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  3. ^ "Rifi hands over police helm to Salem". The Daily Star. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Machnouk oversees Internal Security Forces director-general handover". The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon. 2017-03-09. Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
  5. ^ "قوى الأمن الداخلي تحتفل بعيدها الخمسين بعد المئة | الموقع الرسمي للجيش اللبناني". www.lebarmy.gov.lb. Retrieved 2021-06-10.