Army Arrests Sniper Covering Up Retreat of Islamist Gunmen

The Lebanese army apprehended on Friday a sniper who was covering the withdrawal of Islamist jihadists from the northeastern border town of Arsal.

The state-run National News Agency identified the sniper, who was on the roof of Abou Ismail mosque in the town, with his initials M. H.

He is accused of opening fire at residents, tossing grenades at Arsal police station and injuring two officers.

The suspect is wanted for more that 12 arrest warrants.

NNA also reported that gunmen stole a pickup truck.

The vehicle belongs to Ali Mohammed al-Hujairi, who is also known as al-Jamal.

The seizure of Arsal over the weekend marked the first time that Islamic extremists from Syria carried out a large-scale incursion into Lebanon and raised fears of a further spillover of the conflict across the porous border.

The militants took with them around 35 captives from the army and Internal Security Forces who were in the town's outskirts when the attack was launched last Saturday.

Syria's conflict, which began in March 2011, has stoked existing political and sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

Many of the country's Sunnis back the Sunni-led uprising against President Bashar Assad, but much of the Shiite community, including Hizbullah, support the Syrian regime.

H.K.

G.K.