Qahwaji Expects War of 'Attrition' with Terrorists, Vows to Defeat them
Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji expected a war of “attrition” with Syria-based terrorists, warning the military would launch more preventive strikes against them.
“Our battle with terrorism and terrorists is open-ended and we expect it to be a war of attrition,” Qahwaji said in remarks published in local dailies on Thursday.
He promised to make more preventive strikes against the militants who are entrenched on the porous border between Lebanon and Syria.
On Wednesday, a Lebanese military expert was killed and two others were wounded when a bomb they were about to dismantle on the outskirts of the town of Arsal exploded, the army said.
The explosion came a day after an ambush by militants near Ras Baalbek area killed six soldiers and wounded one.
The troops found the bomb on Wednesday as an army patrol was combing the area in the aftermath of Tuesday's ambush.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the two attacks. But Lebanese troops have been battling the Syria-based Islamic militants, including the extremist Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, in areas near the border.
“If the terrorists are responding to the preventive strikes carried out by the army, then … there will be more similar strikes,” Qahwaji said.
He said the army is “strong” and “in high spirits.”
Asked whether the latest attacks on the military were the result of the arrest of Saja al-Dulaimi, who Lebanese authorities say is the divorcee of IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Qahwaji denied the two issues were linked.
He said: “The woman was apprehended 15 days ago after a thorough monitoring that started two months ago.”
“Our intention was to know her identity,” he added.
The army chief stressed that the terrorist organizations do not act like armies. “We expect anything from this enemy.”
“We hit them hard and we will continue to hit them until we defeat them no matter how much time it takes,” he said.
G.K.
H.K.
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