Army Arrests Syrians Linked to Nusra Front
The Lebanese army detained overnight a number of Syrian nationals suspected of having links with an an offshoot of al-Qaida, the military and the state-run National News Agency said Wednesday.
The army said in a communique that it seized 8 Syrians in the eastern border town of Arsal for illegal entry. Some of them were driving unregistered cars and motorcycles and are suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations, it added.
According to NNA, an army unit apprehended seven Syrians in Arsal.
They are suspected of having links to the al-Qaida-inspired al-Nusra Front, the agency said.
The al-Nusra Front, completely unknown before the rebellion in Syria that began two years ago, has been a rebel standard-bearer since mid-2012 when it became the spearhead of the insurgency ahead of the Free Syrian Army.
Arsal, a predominantly Sunni area, backs the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The town lies 12 kilometers from the border with Syria and has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter Syria, while also serving as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict.
The town has seen a massive influx of refugees as a result of the heavy fighting in Qalamoun.
H.K.
G.K.
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