Syrian intervention in the Lebanese Civil War refers to military involvement of the Syrian Arab Army and other military and intelligence structures of the Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic in the Lebanese Civil War. The involvement initiated in 1976, one year after the breakout of the Lebanese War, as Syrian military began supporting Maronite militias against the Palestinian Liberation Organization and leftist militias. Syria also raised a proxy militia of its own - the Palestine Liberation Army (PLA). The involvement was later legalized under the pretext of Arab Deterrent Force of the Arab League. Later, however, the stance changed, and Syria shifted support to Amal, while still backing certain Palestinian and Maronite militias. In 1982, Syria battled Israel over control of Lebanon.