Naharnet

Explosion Targets Army Patrol in Arsal as Nusra Front Points Finger Hizbullah

Al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front accused on Friday Hizbullah of planting a landmine that exploded in an army patrol on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Three soldiers were wounded in a roadside bombing that targeted their patrol in al-Raayan road in Arsal's Wadi Ata region as unknown gunmen opened fire at another patrol heading to inspect the site of the explosion.

The state-run National News Agency said that the army's Special Forces fifth regiment patrol was targeted with the explosion.

The army later said in a communique “a roadside bombing targeted a military vehicle patrolling the outskirts of Arsal, wounding three soldiers.”

The statement continued: “Unknown gunmen opened fire at another patrol accompanying a military expert to inspect the explosion site.”

“Soldiers responded to the sources of fire, pursuing assailants, who fled into the mountainous areas near the town.”

Later on Friday, the army said two other bombs weighing 15 kilograms each were seized in the same location.

"A military expert detonated one of them on site and efforts are underway to dismantle the other one," the army added.

NNA reported that a colonel, a sergeant and a soldier were wounded in the assault.

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr tasked the military police and intelligence branch with carrying out the preliminary investigations regarding the bombing.

The Lebanese army later dismantled two bombs found near the explosion site, NNA said.

Gunmen from al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State group are entrenched on the outskirts of Arsal on the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

They engaged in a bloody fighting with the Lebanese army in August and took with them hostages from the military and police.

The extremists later executed three of them and threatened to kill more if the Lebanese authorities failed to meet their demands.

Since then the army deployed heavily in Arsal and repelled several infiltration attempts after it blocked dirt roads near the town to stop the militants from receiving supplies.

H.K.

G.K.


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