Unknown Assailants Open Fire at Soldier in Arsal

Unknown assailants opened fire at dawn at an army adjutant in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

The NNA reported that two unknown assailants riding a red motorcycle opened fire in the town's al-Jamarek Square at adjutant Ahmed Awdeh while he was heading to his work.

Awdeh was severely wounded in his back and was swiftly transferred to al-Rayyan hospital.

NNA said that Awdeh's condition is stable.

The army later on Thursday issued a communique confirming the shooting.

The reasons behind the attack remain ambiguous.

In August, fighters from the two jihadist groups – al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State - briefly overran Arsal.

They are still holding several policemen and soldiers they took hostage during the clashes. Three other soldiers have already been executed.

Meanwhile, media reports said that a bomb targeted overnight an army patrol al-Mankoubin area in the coastal northern city of Tripoli.

The army said in a statement that “an army patrol detained Mohammed Ghazi al-Esh and Chadi Mahmoud al-Shami, who are suspected of tossing a stun grenade in al-Beddawi area at 1:00 am.”

The army has come under growing attacks in Tripoli by militants who accuse it of colluding with Hizbullah in its intervention in the Syrian conflict on the side of the regime.

H.K.

M.T.