Casualties on Both Sides as Rival Jihadists Clash in Arsal Outskirts
Heavy clashes erupted Tuesday in the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal between jihadists from the rival Islamic State and Fateh al-Sham groups, state-run National News Agency reported.
Several militants from both sides were killed and wounded in the fighting, NNA said.
It later reported that the clashes had spread across the outskirts to reach the Sahlat al-Ajram area as Fateh al-Sham fighters seized control of an IS checkpoint in the al-Shir region.
The Lebanese army meanwhile fired heavy artillery from its posts in north Bekaa at movements by the militants in the Khirbet Younin, Sahlat al-Ajram and Wadi al-Khayl areas.
Militants from IS and Fateh al-Sham -- formerly al-Qaida's Syria affiliate al-Nusra Front -- are entrenched in rugged areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border and the army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian army have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border.
The two groups briefly overran the town of Arsal in August 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles.
The retreating militants abducted more than 30 troops and policemen of whom four have been executed and nine remain in the captivity of the IS group.
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