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Lebanese Army Shells Militant Posts in Arsal Outskirts | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Lebanese army soldiers sit on top of an armored vehicle near the entrance leading to Arsal August 3, 2014. Photo: REUTERS/Hassan Abdallah


Beirut – Clashes erupted in the border area of Arsal in northeastern Lebanon on Tuesday night, when militants from the so-called Al-Nusra Front attacked several “Hezbollah” posts located along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the Lebanese Army joined Hezbollah in shelling Nusra Front militants in Arsal’s outskirts, using heavy artillery.

Hezbollah’s “military media” said that “Hezbollah” fighters, in cooperation with the Syrian regime forces, have targeted with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, armed militants from the Nusra Front, who were trying to infiltrate into the area of western Qalamoun that lies east of Arsal.

A number of militants, including one of their commanders, were killed during the clashes, and the rest fled the area, “Hezbollah” added.

The fighters of “Hezbollah” along with the Syrian forces have repelled the attempts of the Nusra Front to attack positions of the Syrian forces in Flita in the western Qalamoun area bordering Lebanon, it stated.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television reported that “Hezbollah” members fired at Nusra militants, who were trying to remove the bodies of terrorists killed during the overnight clashes in western Qalamoun.

Wednesday’s clashes led to further deaths among al-Nusra militants, Al-Manar added.

Meanwhile, Syrian Activist Nasser al-Qalamouni, who was present in the Arsal area, said that the Lebanese Army continued shelling several areas in the region, accompanied by intensive flying of Lebanese reconnaissance aircrafts over Arsal.