On 04/08/2020, a catastrophic blast took place in the port of Beirut after a large quantity of ammonium nitrate exploded. The nitrate was stored inside hangar number 12.
- The blast claimed more than 206 lives, including two officers and five soldiers, and wounded more than 6,000 others. The area around the port was also destroyed, with hundreds of homes and institutions destroyed and hundreds more damaged.
- Upon the disaster, all military units in and around Beirut were deployed, and the LAF began working alongside aid agencies such as the Civil Defense and the Red Cross to evacuate the wounded, retrieve bodies, and remove debris to make way for ambulances. The units were also tasked with securing the damaged residences so against robbery and trespassing.
- Subsequently, specialized regiments assumed sensitive tasks within the port, such as searching for and removing dangerous materials by the Engineering Regiment, dismantling the massive falling pieces of debris by the Independent Works Regiment, and participating in the investigation of the causes of the blast and the discovery of chemical evidence.
- The army was also charged with distributing state-approved financial aid to citizens affected by the blast. A committee was formed to inspect the buildings and divide the affected areas based on the extent of damage. The allocated funds were distributed in record time.
- This phase marked broad international solidarity with Lebanon, with large amounts of aid in various forms, including foodstuff, consumables and medical equipment, and several field hospitals were set up to treat the wounded. The army was tasked with organizing the process of receiving and distributing aid to citizens.
