Lebanese army takes on Daesh at Syria border

beirut — Lebanese troops launched an offensive against the Daesh group on Saturday close to the Syrian border where the militants have been active for several years.

The operation follows one by militant group Hezbollah last month against militants in another border area further south.

Hezbollah is deeply embroiled in the civil war that has raged in neighbouring Syria since 2011, fighting in support of President Bashar Al Assad’s regime.

The Lebanese army has sought to keep out of the conflict but has been forced to take action since militants of Daesh and then Al Qaeda affiliate Al Nusra Front assaulted the border town of Arsal in 2014 and abducted 30 soldiers and police.

“In the name of Lebanon, in the name of kidnapped Lebanese soldiers, in the name of martyrs of the army, I announce that operation ‘Dawn of Jurud’ has started,” army chief General Joseph Aoun said. He was referring to two border areas — Jurud Ras Baalbek and Jurud Al Qaa — where Daesh has been active.

“The army is confronting the Daesh terrorists to chase them out and recover territory,” army spokesman General Ali Kanso said, using an Arabic acronym for Daesh. “We have no fear of Daesh.” Kanso said the army believed there were around 600 Daesh fighters in the two areas, controlling some 120 square kilometres of territory.

Hezbollah said it had launched a simultaneous operation against the militants from the Syrian side of the border. —