Unknown Gunmen Kill Three Soldiers in Arsal
Three soldiers were killed overnight Monday in an attack on their checkpoint in the town of Wadi Hmeid in the eastern border town of Arsal.
“A group of gunmen in a black jeep assaulted an army checkpoint and clashed with the soldiers at 3:30 a.m.,” said a communique issued by the army command.
The statement pointed out that the army is carrying out a wide search operation in the area to detain the armed men who fled to the nearby outskirts.
Security sources told Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) earlier that the gunmen fled into the Syrian territories after the attack.
Arsal municipal chief Ali al-Hujairi denied in comments to VDL (100.5) that the residents of Arsal are not involved in the attack.
“The incident took place on the outskirts of Arsal and some residents pursued the Hummer that opened fire at the army checkpoint before it entered Syria,” he pointed out.
He described the relations between the army and the residents of Arsal as “very good.”
Army units in the area were on high alert swiftly after the incident.
Schools and shops were closed in the area to condemn the attack, LBCI said.
State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr tasked the army intelligence and the military police with carrying out the initial investigation into the shooting.
Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in February when members of an armed group ambushed their patrol that was in the area of Arsal to pursue a suspect wanted on terrorism charges.
The ambush raised tensions between the residents and the army after they accused it of approaching the town in civilian vehicles.
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