2 Lebanese soldiers killed during clashes with Syrian gunmen

Share:

arsal mapTwo Lebanese soldiers killed and several were wounded  during clashes  with Syrian gunmen near the border town of Arsal, National News  Agency , NNA reported  Saturday evening .

Earlier on Saturday Syrian Islamist militants launched a deadly attack on Arsal after the Lebanese army arrested an Al-Nusra Front commander amid a Syrian regime and Hezbollah offensive against insurgents across the border in Qalamoun.

The militants attacked two Lebanese Armed Forces checkpoints in Al-Maseeda and Wadi Hmeid, positions on the outskirts of the eastern Beqaa town in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range that straddles the border with Syria, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported

The NNA also reported that the gunmen stormed the Internal Security Forces branch in Arsal, in an attack that killed two local men who took up arms to defend the security post from the militants.

“Fighting is ongoing between Islamic militants and the LAF supported by local police in an attempt to stop an attack by the militants on army and security positions in Arsal,” NNA said.

The NNA also reported that two LAF helicopters took off from the Beqaa’s Riyaq air base and headed for the Arsal hills in search of the militants amid the heavy army deployment.

Meanwhile, Lebanese outlets said that two Lebanese soldiers had been abducted by the militants, but were shortly afterward freed.

Amid the chaotic situation, Arsal residents sent out messages on social media websites, calling for expulsion of the militants, and asking residents not to clash with the army.

The deployment of Islamic militants came after the LAF arrested a Syrian man involved with takfiri groups operating across the border from Arsal in Syria’s Qalamoun region, a security source told NOW’s correspondent in the Beqaa.

An official LAF statement later confirmed the arrest and identified the arrested man as Syrian national Imad Ahmad Jumaa.

Update: Voice of Free Lebanon reported that the Syrian militants are now in control of Al-Maseeda and Wadi Hmeid positions on the outskirts of the eastern Beqaa town of Arsal and have raised the flag of The Nusra front.

MTV reported that the Army launched an attack against the Syrian militants to try to retake the Wadi Hmeid position and this resulted in heavy losses to the Syrian militants.

MTV also reported that the Syrian air force has joined the fight in Arsal and is reportedly shelling the position of the Syrian militants.

According to analysts Hezbollah is slowly but surely trying to drag the Lebanese army into the Syrian conflict which could have very serious consequences for Lebanon.

The U.S. embassy in Lebanon condemned the attacks against the army in Arsal and reiterated support for troops for stability’s sake.

Former President Michel Suleiman stressed that all political differences must be put aside, calling for supporting the army and the security forces in against

The Army Command issued the following statement regarding the situation : “What happened and what is happening today is one of the most dangerous things that Lebanon has been subjected to because it revealed that there is someone who has been planning to target the country, the army and Arsal for a while.”

LBCI quoting security sources as saying :” The army’s airborne regiment is starting to retake control of posts that were lost during the Arsal clashes.”

LBCI also reported that the army handed over 6 of its wounded troops to the Lebanese Red Cross.

March 14 issued a statement in which it called for supporting the army and for the Syrian militants to go back to Syria and for Hezbollah fighters to quit the Syrian war and return to Lebanon . Here is a summary of the statement

1- “The need for extension of state sovereignty over the entire Lebanese territory through the deployment of the army and security forces along the Syrian – Lebanese border, particularly in the area of Arsal.

2- The need for the withdrawal of Syrian militants wherever they are inside Lebanese territory immediately.

3- The need for the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the fighting in Syria immediately.

March 14 also urged all the Lebanese to “fully and clearly support the state institution both military and political”

YL/NOW

Share:

Comments

15 responses to “2 Lebanese soldiers killed during clashes with Syrian gunmen”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Go Go LAF . !!

    1. MekensehParty Avatar
      MekensehParty

      Go where poor LAF?
      Die for Hezbollah and bashar like they did in saida?

      1. 5thDrawer Avatar
        5thDrawer

        Gotta cheer for someone for ‘goodness’ sake … If they can’t stop Hezzys from farting around they can perhaps stop the OTHER riff-raff from getting over the border.
        And so far, they have done a fair job of keeping Tripoli walkable for women trying to get some food on occasion. So … Go Go LAF. 🙂
        (can’t have instant perfection, after all …)

        1. ahmedbg Avatar

          Haha well said

        2. MekensehParty Avatar
          MekensehParty

          Jumblats visit to Hasan and words in the press lately were a preparation for this offensive on arsal. They’re throwing the LAF in the arena with “political cover”.
          Poor LAF and god help them. If the Syrian army and Hezbollah can’t hold against these barbarians the LAF is going to be massacred worse than in that Palestinian camp in tripoli.

          1. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            You forget … they ‘won’ in the camp … after 3 months I think … a bit messy at times … but experience can help. 😉 The ‘Nusra-types’ who robbed the bank had to vacate eventually.
            But like with Hamas, everyone else in the camp had to suffer first. 🙁

          2. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            168 dead soldiers, 500 soldiers wounded to clear the camp of some 500 fanatics
            There’s at least 5,000 fanatics in and around Arsal, can the LAF loose 1500 soldiers and thousands of injured going after them?
            In Nahr el Bared they were able to besiege those who Hasan protected at the time, where are they going to besiege them in this mountainous area? And if they take position among the civilians can the army bomb arsal like bashar is doing in his own towns or like the LAF did with Nahr el bared (Israeli style)?
            That’s why I believe they’re burning the army and throwing it in the fight.
            Even if the LAF is capable of winning on the Lebanese side which will certainly come at great losses, it has declared itself an enemy of IS with all the shit that this brings.
            Anyway, the dices are rolled…

          3. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            I think they gave the Nahr el bared town-folks a better chance to leave, before it became the blood-bath … and there was another place for them to go. Slightly different than Gaza … although I wonder why Gazans didn’t exit more toward their south because the north seemed to be the main target zone … hmmm … no-one leaves happily and carrying ‘everything’ is impossible.
            (Perhaps one Should only own what you can put in a back-pack.)
            But it’s the idiots robbing banks who caused the problem. I think some must have ended up in Tripoli too.
            And after almost 2 years of hell for citizens there, the LAF got permission from the ‘great leaders’ to try and get the gangs out – or at least stop them from sniping and RPGing each other long enough for the women to buy groceries without dodging bullets, and kids to go back to school instead of emulating the old idiots.
            (Some little education may prove fruitful … review that in 10 years …)
            The ‘protection rackets’ have been reduced greatly as well, I think.
            And no-one was protecting women anyway – just businesses – perhaps KFC didn’t pay the monthly toll.
            Military dead and wounded, fighting FOR their country, are heroes – and it’s their job. A Lebanese Army. And yes, the dice have rolled … and even the ‘ALL POWERFUL Country-Resistant Militia’ Hezzys have noticed bullets can hurt them, on occasion, even if they hate to admit it.
            I still cheer for the LAF … doesn’t mean the team wins all the games.
            As for the biggest idiots … main idea is to keep them out. LAF won’t be running around Syria pretending to defend a border … unless the UN invites them to tag along to mop up whatever is left there in a few years. 😉

          4. Very well said.
            It is however a shame that the LAF is being dragged into this.
            It is being used as puppet by HA and Syria to muster up some more cannon fodder as they must be running low now (they are the minority in o5at libnan)

            All we can hope for is; a swift and heavy response from the LAF , a fast conclusion to this “battle” and as minimal amount of losses as posable.

            GO LAF!!

            God- Country- Army!

          5. MekensehParty Avatar
            MekensehParty

            Ow c’mon fifth, nahr al bared was leveled to the ground, AND helicopter barrel bombing was invented there if you remember.
            The “civilians” were protesting every day but hey it was Arabs killing Arabs so the media hardly picked up the protests…
            But those are technicalities, the big picture today is that the army of a country without a president is now in a war trying to clean the garbage of one sect with the help of the garbage of another sect, which I think is a cocktail that will blow in the army’s face. And it is…

    2. LAF LAF LAF HA HA HA

  2. MekensehParty Avatar
    MekensehParty

    Here they come, stop them or not, the fire is spreading and eating everything on its way.
    The fire that you started in front of the Phoenicia, remember?
    The one that blew the most moderate Sunni that Lebanon has ever known…
    Here’s who replaced him just like we told you they would.
    Now deal with them if you can.

  3. According to analysts Hezbollah is slowly but surely trying to drag the Lebanese army into the Syrian conflict which could have very serious consequences for Lebanon. LAF chief Jean Kahwagi is being promised the presidency by Hezbollah in return for his full cooperation (ie collaboration).

  4. Fauzia45 Avatar

    This is what some wanted to happen !Let s hope it fails!!!!

  5. Leborigine Avatar
    Leborigine

    FKN syrians!!! May the two soldiers rest in peace.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *