Commanded by Colonel Nizar Abdelkader, the Third Brigade during the Mountain War was split into two separated commands deployed at different locations: some of its battalions were positioned in east Beirut, at the Hadath and the Faculty of Sciences sectors leading to the southern suburbs of the Lebanese Capital, while the other units remained stationed at Sidon. During the Battle for west Beirut on February 6, 1984, the Third Brigade's battalions stationed at Beirut's eastern sector provided support to the other Lebanese Army units deployed in the western sector of the city fighting the anti-Government Muslim militias.