Lebanon army begins offensive to clear IS from border

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s US-backed army launched its biggest military operation yet against Islamic State militants, who gained a foothold along the border with neighbouring Syria in 2014.

The long-awaited campaign aims to defeat the militants in their last enclave and put an end to a terror threat that has loomed over the country for years.

President Michel Aoun called field commanders from Lebanon’s defence ministry where he was monitoring operations to tell them, “You will not disappoint us,” and “Our hearts and minds are with you,” according to video broadcasts on TV channels across the country.

Operations commenced before dawn, with the military striking IS positions in the barren hills of the eastern border areas with Syria, Brig Gen Ali Qanso said in a press conference.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group and the Syrian army announced a simultaneous offensive to clear IS militants from the Syrian side of the border, in the western Qalamoun mountain range.

Hezbollah has been fighting alongside President Bashar Assad’s forces in Syria since 2013.

Lebanese authorities insist they are not coordinating with Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, and Qanso said yesterday the army was not even coordinating with Hezbollah.

That would spare Washington the potential embarrassment of appearing entangled with a group it classifies as a terror organisation.

The US is a key patron of the Lebanese army, and top brass from the Pentagon were seen visiting Lebanon in the run-up to the operation.

Nevertheless, Hezbollah ministers hold key portfolios in the Lebanese government, and the country is accustomed to seeing the militant group run operations in parallel with the army. — AP