During General Michel Aoun's Liberation War in 1989-1990, the 7th Brigade led by Colonel Sami Rihana put a spirited defense of Madfoun and Kfar Abida in the Batroun District on 13-14 August 1989, inflicting heavy losses on attacking Syrian Army armored columns and later on 13 September, the Brigade's units positioned at Mneitra were subjected to heavy mortar fire by the Syrians. To contradict false rumors that some units from both the 7th Brigade and the 2nd Brigade were preparing themselves to defect to Syrian-controlled territory and launch an assault on Madfoun, Chebtin and Sghar, Col. Rihana placed the former Brigade on full alert and issued a general mobilization order of all the unit's armored, infantry, and artillery formations held in reserve at Amsheet barracks and at Madfoun. On 16 January 1990, following a chilling of relations between Gen. Aoun's interim military government in East Beirut and the Lebanese Forces militia Command in Amsheet, the former instructed the 7th Brigade to conduct night security patrols with their military vehicles in the region of Jbeil, Amsheet and Nahr Ibrahim to help maintain order.