Clashes Erupt in Outskirts of Bekaa Towns of Deir al-Ghazal, Qusaya

Armed clashes broke out on Wednesday evening on the Lebanese-Syrian border outside the Bekaa towns of Deir al-Ghazal and Qusaya, in an area that has been witnessing near-daily skirmishes with Syria-based militants.

“Clashes are underway in the outskirts of the towns of Deir al-Ghazal and Qusaya on Syria's border,” Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

It said the sounds of artillery shelling echoed in the region “as warplanes flew over the mountains and the sounds of explosions were heard in most of the Eastern Mountain Range towns.”

Earlier, OTV said “five explosions were heard in Qusaya and Syrian warplanes are flying over the area.”

NNA and OTV did not reveal anything about the identities of the parties involved in the clashes.

On October 22, the Qusaya region witnessed clashes between the pro-Damascus Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and the Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front.

The PFLP-GC has a military base in Qusaya.

Gunbattles had erupted between the PFLP-GC and unknown militants in central Bekaa in August.

The group said at the time that gunmen targeted its post as well as a Lebanese army position in Ain al-Baida near Kfar Zabad.

The PFLP-GC, whose command is based in Damascus, has maintained military bases in the eastern Bekaa Valley as well as in the hills of Naameh south of Beirut for the last 23 years.

The PFLP-GC is the only Palestinian faction that maintains significant military positions outside the 12 Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Y.R.