Nusra Asks 'Lebanon Rational People' to Stay Out of 'Iran's Battle', Vows Attacks on Hizbullah
A group calling itself al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, an apparent offshoot of the Syria-based extremist organization, on Monday issued what it called “a letter to the rational people in Lebanon,” urging them to remain neutral in the “battle” with Iran and Hizbullah.
“Any reasonable person should be aware of the tyranny practiced by Iran's party (Hizbullah) across all Lebanese and Syrian regions, especially Qusayr and Qalamoun, and the crimes that were committed there,” the group said in the message that was published on its Twitter account.
The Front, which had claimed Saturday's suicide attack on an army checkpoint in Hermel, said the military institution was targeted because of “the facilitation of the entry of its (Hizbullah's) men and arms into Syria via the Lebanese border crossings and under the eyes of the decorative Lebanese government and the extortioner Lebanese Army.”
It also accused the army of allowing Hizbullah's fighters to cross its checkpoints on daily basis.
Hizbullah “has left the protection of its dens to the Lebanese Army in order to focus on the battle against the Sunni Syrian people, putting the army at the forefront and making it pay for the crimes it is committing in Syria,” al-Nusra added in its statement.
“All the lairs of the party are a legitimate target for us, so stay out of the confrontation as there is a hefty price to pay,” the group said.
Addressing “the rational people in Lebanon,” the group added: “Neutralize your sons from the battle of Velayat-e faqih (Iran's Islamic regime) and its project in the region and don't aid the oppressor against the oppressed."
An officer, a soldier and a civilian were killed on Saturday when a suicide bomber blew up a car rigged with 125 kilos of explosives at an army checkpoint at an entrance to the Bekaa town of Hermel, a Hizbullah stronghold.
Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, announcing that it targeted Hermel with “a blessed martyrdom operation” and vowing to keep supporting “the Sunni community in Syria.”
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