Report: Defections Will Not Impact Army's Determination to Remain Country's Backbone

The increasing defection of troops from the Lebanese army is not expected to affect the military, which includes around 60,000 soldiers, despite fears that the institution is being targeted with a campaign to create chaos in its ranks.

Military sources told the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat that “the Lebanese army similar to any other army witnesses some defections but the focus on the recent cases was compelled by the fact that the fugitive soldiers defected and joined the ranks of terrorist organizations.”

“The fleeing of such soldiers doesn't impact the military negatively but rather cleans the institution from such models.”

The sources ruled out reports saying that those who defected were kidnapped, confirming that they are fugitives and have search warrants against them.

Any soldier who fails to show up at service would be considered a fugitive after 42 hours and an arrest warrant would be issued against him. He would also be referred to the military court, which applies on the three soldier fugitives.

“The three soldiers found a safe haven at these (terrorist) organizations,” the source told the newspaper.

As Safir newspaper reported on Monday that the suspicious defection by some soldiers increases concern that the army is being targeted with a “dangerous ambush.”

“There are attempts to create chaos and confusion among the ranks of the army.”

Fugitive soldier Abdullah Ahmed Shehade, who hails from the town of Mashha, defected on Friday and joined the ranks of al-Nusra Front hours after the group published a video in which soldier Mohammed Antar announced that he had "joined the jihadists."

Shehade is a member of the Fifth Intervention Regiment.

Antar, who is from the Rafik Hariri International Airport's guard platoon, said in his video that “he defected to the extremist group to defend the Sunni community and in protest at Hizbullah's practices.”

The first time a Lebanese soldier defected to the Nusra Front in neighboring Syria was in July.

Corporal Atef Mohammed Saadeddine claimed in a video that his move came as a result of the injustice against Sunnis in Lebanon.

Islamists in the country claim that Sunnis are facing harassment by the army, which they accuse of working under the command of Hizbullah.

The Shiite party has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to help the regime of President Bashar Assad against the rebels fighting his troops.

Hizbullah members have engaged in bloody gunbattles with al-Nusra Front, the Islamic State group and other Syrian opposition fighters in Syria and the border region with Lebanon.

The jihadist groups took several Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage in August and executed three of them.

H.K.

G.K.