Army Repels Attack by Gunmen in Arsal

The army repelled overnight Monday an infiltration attempt by gunmen, who are scattered on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported.

The daily said that armed men opened fire at army posts in the area, compelling soldiers to respond using medium weapons and machineguns.

The army also fired flare bombs to be able to monitor the movement of the armed men.

Jihadists from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group are entrenched on the outskirts of Arsal on the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

They engaged in a bloody fighting with the Lebanese army in August and took with them hostages from the military and police.

The extremists later executed three of them and threatened to kill more if the Lebanese authorities failed to meet their demands, including the release of Islamists jailed in Roumieh.

Meanwhile, the army had detained a Lebanese national, identified as Mohammed Hassan Fleiti, while trying to smuggle a Syrian national into the Wadi Hmeid region in the Bekaa.

According to a communique issued by the army on Sunday night, the two men were arrested and referred to the competent authorities.

The Syrian national was identified as Fadi Abdul Karim al-Bustany.

H.K.

G.K.