The South Lebanon Army or South Lebanese Army (SLA; Arabic: Ψ¬ΩΨ΄ ΩΨ¨ΩΨ§Ω Ψ§ΩΨ¬ΩΩΨ¨Ω, JayΕ‘ LubnΔn al-JanΕ«biyy), also known as the Lahad Army (Ψ¬ΩΨ΄ ΩΨΨ―) or as the De Facto Forces (DFF), was a militia founded by Lebanese military officer Saad Haddad in 1977, amidst the Lebanese Civil War, which evolved to operate as a quasi-military during the South Lebanon conflict, basing itself in Haddad's unrecognized State of Free Lebanon. Although officially secular, the majority of its soldiers were either Shiites or Christians, with the latter in particular dominating its higher ranks all throughout the militia's existence.
Initially, it was known as the "Free Lebanon Army" after it broke away from the Army of Free Lebanon, another Christian-dominated militia. After 1979, the SLA's activity was almost exclusively confined to southernmost Lebanon. Under the aegis of Israel, the militia was bolstered by the 1982 Lebanon War. It came under increasing Israeli supervision following the collapse of the State of Free Lebanon in 1984 and subsequent establishment of the South Lebanon security belt administration.