The Internal Security Forces (; ;

abbreviated An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened form of a word, usually ended with a trailing per ...

ISF) are the national police and

gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. Modern police were established in Lebanon in 1861, with the creation of a gendarmerie force. In April 2005,

Ashraf Rifi Ashraf Rifi (; also spelled Achraf Rifi) (born 1 April 1954) is a Lebanese politician and former police chief. He was the general director of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF; the national police) from 2005 to 2013 and served as mini ...

became head of the ISF, replacing Ali Al Hajj. 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, 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. The number of ISF personnel reached 100,000 by 2000 and grew to over 131,000 by 2013. The ISF National Day in Lebanon is on the 9th of June.

Missions

Their missions include : * Maintaining

public order Public order may refer to * Public security: the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger or property damage * Public order policing: police maintenance of order ...

. *

Highway patrol A highway patrol is a police unit, detail, or law enforcement agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways within a jurisdiction. They are also referred to in many countri ...

. *

Counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

Organization

The ISF organization includes: * The Ministry of the interior * Inspector-General * Directorate General of Internal Security Forces ** Staff ** Territorial Gendarmerie ** Mobile Gendarmerie ** Judicial Police ** Central Administration ** Beirut Police ** ISF Institute ** Social Services ** Commander of the Security of Embassies and Public Administration

Elite Forces

Three Special Forces Teams operate in the ISF. # Special Operations Group-Judicial Police.
It consists of SWAT unit and BRI unit. # Strike Force - Information Department. # Black Panthers - Mobile Forces

Directors

List of General Directors of ISF: *Rayed Abdullah, Major_General, ISF General Director from 2025 *Imad Othman, Major-General, ISF General Director from 2017 to 2025 *Ibrahim Basbous, Major-General, ISF General Director from 2013 to 2017 *

, Major-General, ISF General Director from 2005 to 2013 * Ali Al Hajj, Major-General, ISF General Director from 2004 to 2005 *Marouan Zein, Major-General, ISF General Director from 2001 to 2004 *Abed El Karim Ibrahim, Major-General, ISF General Director from 1998 to 2001 *Rafic El Hassan, Major-General, ISF General Director from 1993 to 1998 *Mohammad Salim Kobrosly, Major-General, ISF General Director from 1990 to 1993 *Omar Makhzoumi, Major-General, ISF General Director from 1987 to 1990 *Osman Osman, Major-General, ISF General Director from 1983 to 1987 *Hicham El Chaar, Civilian, ISF General Director from 1982 to 1983 *Ahmad El Hajj, Major-General (Army), ISF General Director from 1977 to 1982 *Hicham El Chaar, Civilian, ISF General Director from 1971 to 1977 *Mahmoud Hafez, Civilian, ISF General Director from 1970 to 1971 *Mahmoud El Banna, Civilian, ISF General Director from 1964 to 1970 *Jamil El Hosami, Leader (Army), ISF General Director from 1962 to 1964 *

Nureddine Rifai Nureddin Rifai (1899 – January 1980) () was director of Lebanon's Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the 25th Prime Minister of Lebanon. Rifai retired from the ISF in 1962. He was appointed to be Prime Minister by Suleiman Frangieh Sul ...

, Leader, ISF General Director from 1959 to 1962

References

External links

Lebanese Internal Security Forces
{{Authority control Law enforcement agencies of Lebanon 1861 establishments in the Ottoman Empire