The Lebanese army said ‍on Thursday that it had achieved the ‍goal of a state monopoly on arms in the country’s south in an “effective and tangible way”, but ⁠said there was more work to be done to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels in the area.The army had set a year-end deadline to clear ‍non-state weaponry from southern Lebanon, which borders Israel, ‍before moving ‍on to other ⁠areas of ‌the country.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.It said ⁠it ‍had extended operational control over the ⁠south, except for areas still occupied by Israeli ‌troops.The statement did not mention Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which fought a year-long war with Israel ‍that ended in a 2024 ceasefire that stipulated that only Lebanon’s state security forces were allowed to carry arms.Read more:Lebanon says Israeli strikes undermine efforts to prevent escalationIsrael strikes south, east Lebanon after evacuation warningsUN decries repeated Israeli army