Five Hizbullah Fighters, Dozens of Gunmen Killed in Attack in Outskirts of Brital
Five members of Hizbullah were killed and dozens of gunmen died in clashes that erupted on Sunday between them in the outskirts of the Bekaa region of Brital.
Gunmen came from al-Qalamoun and attacked a Hizbullah position in the outskirts of Brital, forcing the party to bring additional reinforcements for its fighters in the area.
The army also went on alert in Brital.
MTV explained that the attack targeted a Hizbullah's Ain al-Saat position and that al-Nusra gunmen came from Assal al-Ward
“Hizbullah 'thwarted the attack' and two of their fighters died and others injured, while al-Nusra Front has dozens of dead and injured fighters," it added.
Sunday night a Hizbullah security official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, confirmed the deaths of five fighters after clashes around the town of Nabi Sbat in eastern Lebanon.
Several media reported that Mohammed Khaled Hamza Suhaib, a leader in the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front, died after the clashes in Brital and his corpse was transported to al-Rahmat hospital in the nearby town of Arsal.
"Hizbullah posts in the mountains around al-Nabi Sabat, east of Baalbek, were attacked by armed groups who came from Qalamun" in Syria, a Hizbullah source told AFP.
"Hizbullah returned fire, inflicting heavy losses among the attackers," it added.
Residents from al-Nabi Sabat who fled the fighting told Agence France Presse they saw Hizbullah convoys picking up several wounded fighters from the group during the clashes.
Al-Mayadeen television stated that the gunmen, who tried to infiltrate the eastern mountain range, sought to open a gap between the outskirts of al-Qalamun and al-Zabadani.
According to al-Manar television, Hizbullah killed dozens of militants and wounded others in Ain al-Saat and was able to take them out of the eastern mountain range.
“Cautious calmness dominates the areas which witnessed clashes in the eastern mountain range,” it added.
LBCI stated that “the gunmen attacked a Hizbullah position in the outskirts of Brital, in the eastern mountain range, where violent clashes took place."
“A group of the Islamic State jihadist group attacked a Hizbullah position in al-Mahafer in the outskirts of Brital and injuries from both sided were recorded,” it added.
Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) stated that Syrian gunmen briefly seized the Hizbullah position in Brital, but they withdrew afterward.
After a few minutes LBCI said: “The clashes expanded between Hizbullah and the IS gunmen to Younine in the outskirts of Baalbek and Hizbullah brought in reinforcements and a number of civilians participated in the fight.”
“Hizbullah used 'an intense firing strategy' to force the militants to withdraw after they had came from several destinations of the eastern mountain range,” VDL added.
According to VDL, the army announced an alert in its positions in Brital and Hawr Taala and declared that its units didn't intervene in the clash.
Z.A.
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