This map covers the hills south and southeast of Beirut. They are among the most fought-over places in the country. The most intense fighting here in the 1975-1990 wars was in the early 1980s when Walid Joumblatt’s PSP, then backed by Syria, repeatedly tried to drive the Lebanese Armed Forces off of the hills. For much of this time he was opposed by Gen. Michel Aoun’s 8th Brigade, then backed by the US. The fighting spread when the PSP repeatedly shelled the US Marines at the airport, killing four. Eventually US Navy ships shelled PSP militiamen attacking the hill to keep them from capturing it.
The hills are important primarily because they allow observers to look down into Beirut. A few men with binoculars and communications with artillery hidden in the mountains can reduce anything in the city to rubble given enough time. The southern suburbs especially are in easy reach, including the Presidential Palace at Baabda, the LAF headquarters nearby, and the homes of several hundred thousand mostly-Shi’a Lebanese. In addition Hill 888 and its neighbors dominate important routes leading out of the city. The road leading south along the coast from Khaldeh runs just under the hills. The main Beirut-Damascus highway passes through Aley.
Areas shaded blue were captured by the militias of the Blue coalition after defeating the PSP in combat. Later these areas were turned over to the LAF. Areas shaded purple were apparently surrendered to the LAF by the PSP without being captured by Blue. Often the LAF allowed Blue agents to search the offices of Red parties in these areas.
The first set of arrows are for the limited round of fighting in the Chouf during the battles in Beirut. The “May 11” arrows show the attacks by Blue on the afternoon of that day. At this point the PSP allegedly began firing antiaircraft guns from Baysur. Blue then fired a barrage of mortar shells across the front and PSP resistance quickly gave way. The “May 11-12” arrows show the course of the fighting from this time on until the shooting stopped sometime overnight.
NOTE: This map is not accurate or precise.
It is based on several different sources, most importantly summaries of news stories being broadcast on Lebanese television at the time. A great deal of information is lacking, especially on what the situation was before fighting started. what direction attacks were made from, and what militias were participating.
I am more confident about the areas captured. Al-Manar reported a highly plausible list of places captured by Blue by the end of the war. Newspapers also provided some confirmation.
Very little information was available on the fighting along the Abadiyeh-Aley axis, the army’s activities along the Beirut-Damascus highway, or the status of Aley at the end of the fighting.
The actual fighting was much more confused. The two sides were tangled together in ways that would be difficult to show on a map even if I had more information. Blue militiamen were in the Shi’a villages of Komatiye and Keyfoun from the beginning. Some isolated Red militiamen may have remained scattered in the area that I have shaded as captured.
I would welcome any information at all that may be relevant, no matter how unimportant it might seem. Even confirmation of what I already know from another source can help.
summary
Blue initially attacked from coast south of Khaldeh. When more serious fighting broke out on the afternoon of May 11 they turned north, isolating Chouiefat from Aitat and Hill 888. After breaking up Red resistance with mortar barrages they finally they drove east across the hills and into Baysur and Aley.
“themes”
Keyfoun and Komatiye held out until help arrived despite being mostly surrounded by Red-dominated villages.
Despite clearly having the upper hand in the fighting Blue did not capture the summits of the the hills before the mortar barrage. Afterward it captured the hills but did not push on beyond them.
Apart from the fighting in Beirut itself this was the decisive “battle” of the war, deciding the fate of millions of people. It took place over one 10-km long ridge.
