Arsal Youth Join Militants to Prepare for Battle against Hizbullah
Several youth from the northeastern border town of Arsal allegedly headed to its outskirts to join jihadists despite the heavy deployment of the Lebanese army in the village.
Concerned sources informed As Safir newspaper Friday that during the past two days at least ten youth from Arsal headed to its outskirts to join the ranks of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaida-affiliate al-Nusra Front.
The sources presumed that they aim at participating in any confrontation with Hizbullah in the area.
Meanwhile, a prominent security source said in remarks published in al-Joumhouria newspaper that the army is “present in Arsal.”
The source denied that the army reinforcements in Arsal a “message to certain political sides,” stressing that they aim at soothing the residents of the area and “signal that the military is present to safeguard them from any assault.”
“We want to send a message to terrorists that the army is present and ready.”
The source noted that Arsal “will not be a conduit or a safe haven for terrorists and will not allow any side to partake in preserving Lebanon's sovereignty.”
On Thursday, the army deployed heavily in the restive town, stepping up its security measures, a move that was welcomed by the anxious residents.
Troops erected checkpoints inside the town and at the entrances of Syrian refugee encampments and staged mechanized patrols.
Jubilant residents “warmly welcomed” the soldiers and “threw rice on them.”
The deployment comes after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Sunday hinted that his group would try and eliminate the militants of the IS and al-Nusra from Arsal's outskirts if the Lebanese state failed to do so.
Hizbullah backed by Syrian forces has recently controlled strategic areas in Qalamoun that abuts Lebanon's eastern border, amid continuing clashes in the region.
Hizbullah cites fear of militants from the IS group and al-Nusra Front sweeping through Shiite and Christian border villages as one of the main reasons for its involvement in Syria.
Some observers however fear the Qalamoun offensive could prompt Islamist militants to launch attacks in Shiite areas of Lebanon itself, including Beirut's southern suburbs.
The IS and Nusra Front have infiltrated Lebanon in the past, and last August briefly overran Arsal, taking with them several soldiers and policemen hostage, four of whom have been executed.
H.K.
G.K.
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