Terror Suspect Held in N. Bekaa as Army Bombs IS in Ras Baalbek Outskirts

W460

An army unit carried out a raid Wednesday in the eastern border town of Maaraboun where it arrested Lebanese national R. M. M. on suspicion of having ties to terrorist groups, state-run National News Agency reported.

TV networks meanwhile said that the army was firing artillery shells at movements and posts for the extremist Islamic State group in the outskirts of the eastern border town of Ras Baalbek.

Militants from IS and the rival jihadist group Fateh al-Sham Front are entrenched in mountainous areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border and the army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian forces have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border.

The two groups overran the eastern border town of Arsal in 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles.

The retreating militants abducted more than 30 Lebanese soldiers and policemen of whom four have been executed and nine remain in IS' captivity.

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