Hizbullah Starts Long-Awaited Assault in Arsal Outskirts, Seizes Strategic Points

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  • W460
  • W460
  • W460
  • W460

Hizbullah said on Friday that its fighters had begun an operation against militants on both sides of the country's eastern border with Syria.

Hizbullah's al-Manar television and its "War Media" social media channels carried announcements of "the start of a military operation to purge outskirts of Arsal and Qalamoun of armed terrorists."

The operation has been anticipated for several weeks, and comes after Lebanese soldiers carrying out raids on Syrian refugee camps in the area were met with suicide bombings and a grenade attack.

In the afternoon, Hizbullah's media outlets said the group's fighters had seized full control of the al-Rahweh plain and of the strategic Dahret al-Houwweh post amid "deaths and injuries among the ranks of the al-Nusra Front militants."

"The fighters of the resistance have seized control of the Dahret al-Houwweh post, one of the most important points in Arsal's outskirts, replacing al-Nusra Front's flag with the flag of the resistance," Hizbullah's "War Media" unit reported.

Hizbullah had earlier fired a guided missile that destroyed Nusra's operations room in Dahret al-Houwweh and killed those who were in it. The group's guided missiles also destroyed two Nusra vehicles on a side road in southern Wadi Hmeid.

There was intermittent shelling throughout the day on the outskirts of Arsal, but the town itself remained relatively calm, a local source told the AFP news agency.

A Hizbullah statement provided to AFP confirmed that two of its fighters were killed in the clashes Friday.

Another source from within the group, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the toll was as high as five.

Also in the afternoon, the Lebanese army upped its readiness and started implementing strict security measures to preserve security inside and around Arsal, amid foot and mechanized patrols, media reports said.

Later on Friday, Hizbullah said a large number of Nusra militants were killed after their post in Arsal's outskirts was targeted with a "short-range, large-caliber missile."

The Lebanese army also fired heavy artillery at movements by the militants in the area, inflicting casualties and damaging three vehicles.

And as clashes intensified in the evening, the National News Agency said Hizbullah had seized control of five new Nusra posts in the outskirts.

Speaker Nabih Berri discussed the clashes with Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali.

"We discussed the consecutive victories in Arsal and in Syria," Ali said after Friday's meeting, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

Hizbullah and the Syrian army had in the morning seized control of the al-Burkan hill in the outskirts of the Syrian town of Flita, killing and wounding several Nusra militants, pro-Hizbullah media said.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said "the Lebanese army will carry out a planned-out operation in outskirts of Arsal and the government gives it freedom (to do so)."

The Lebanese army has not officially announced its participation in the offensive but said Friday it had "targeted, with heavy weapons, a group of terrorists that was trying to infiltrate Arsal."

It also said it had "authorized a group of women and children coming from a (refugee) camp close to the position of armed men to enter the town of Arsal."

Ahead of the operation, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon, Christophe Martin, told AFP that preparations had been made to receive wounded civilians.

"We support two hospitals in Arsal and we have supplied them with more medicine and surgical material because they have limited resources," he said.

VDL (93.3) said that Lebanese flags were heavily flown above encampments of Syrian refugees in Arsal, and that a state of calm prevailed in the town.

It also said that Nusra has evacuated several of its positions and fortifications in the Wadi Hmeid area.

Hizbullah has been fighting in Syria for years alongside government troops against rebels.

The security situation in Arsal has long been a concern.

In 2014, jihadists kidnapped 30 soldiers and policemen after clashes in the area.

Four of the hostages were killed and a fifth died of his wounds, while 16 were eventually released in December 2015.

Another nine hostages are still being held.

The town of Arsal lies on the Lebanese side of the in-places ambiguously demarcated border.

Around 45,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations live in the town, but more are believed to be living in camps in the outskirts area, although their numbers have not been confirmed.

The Qalamoun region lies on the Syrian side of the border across from Arsal. While much of it is now under government control, pockets of rebel-held territory remain, particularly along the border.

Hizbullah media outlets said the operation had been launched on two axes -- from the Syrian town of Flita and from the southern part of Arsal's outskirts, already under the group's control.

The operation comes as tensions rise in Lebanon over the presence of more than one million Syrian refugees.

President Michel Aoun warned this week against anti-refugee rhetoric in the wake of the attacks on troops in Arsal.

After the raids, the Lebanese army arrested dozens of people, four of whom were subsequently declared to have died of pre-existing conditions while in custody.

Human rights groups have demanded an independent investigation into allegations that the four men were tortured to death.

Comments 23
Thumb lubnani.masi7i 21 July 2017, 10:18

Hoping for the maximum number of casualties on both sides of the jihadi equation.

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 11:29

Your salafi friends ære in despair.
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 13:33

We are the majority in Lebanon fool.
I for sure do not care about opinions of people with a western overseas residence.

Thumb galaxy 21 July 2017, 13:42

How is that so ya heretic? Sunnis and shias are almost equal in number in Lebanon. Add to that the rest of sects who despise your existence and that makes you the little despised minority.

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 14:29

In your dreams, CIA made those estimates to calm you people down.
Other statistics shows else.

http://lewishistoricalsociety.com/wiki2011/article_image.php?image_type=article&id=119

Thumb galaxy 21 July 2017, 14:41

lol @jewsih historical society.com!!!!

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 14:50

You are the jew lover here.

It's a fact, the Shia are the majority in Lebanon and they have always been the least wealthiest group here.
Until the Resistance was born, and everyone found a purpose in their lives.
Instead of fighting for the Palestinian sunnis alongside the Shia, you Wahabi saudi scum chose America the Jews big brother to fight other muslims and arabs.

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 15:13

I know it makes you scared, but fear not. We are not the ones walking around murdering people because of their sects, that is the salafis within the sunni communities that wants that.

Prime Minister Hariri was clever to keep distance from the salafis, because most sunnis just want to live and make money in Lebanon, they are Lebanese like all else, but when you want to kill people for their sect, then you deserve to die, just like these vermin in Arsal.

Thumb Mystic 21 July 2017, 15:15

Here is a more detailed map of ethnic groups in Lebanon.
Not that it matters, but since you ask so much you can see for yourself.

http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Lebanon_Ethnic_lg.png

Missing new_his 21 July 2017, 15:20

Fake map I don't see any Iranians

Thumb Elemental 21 July 2017, 18:45

Iran's attempting to correct their failed experiment. I still say we need another Operation Praying Mantis. Mystique assumes everyone else is Salafi just to satisfy is psychoses and attempt to feel some weird sense of superiority. Your both trash, killing eachother, that's how civilized people see it. Cry more Mystique^

Thumb galaxy 21 July 2017, 13:39

beating up women in DT and arresting activists.

Missing phillipo 21 July 2017, 17:46

So, Hizaballah has carried out its promise, not to operate on Lebanese territory.
Haha.

Default-user-icon M_10452 (Guest) 21 July 2017, 18:00

I hope for maximum casualties on both sides!!

Thumb Elemental 21 July 2017, 20:00

You're both trash, hypocrite.

Thumb Elemental 22 July 2017, 00:07

Are you high?

Thumb liberty 21 July 2017, 22:44

lol

Thumb liberty 21 July 2017, 22:49

No doubt the army's honor and reputation are preserved while it sits and watches a terror militia parade its iranian weapons under the banner of al hussain.

Thumb Elemental 22 July 2017, 00:14

That's weird, you create fake accounts to insult yourself more and attempt to stir controversy? You sure you don't work for CNN?

Thumb Marc 22 July 2017, 01:17

Hopefully, this whole thing is concluded soon.

The sooner, the better.

Thumb Elemental 22 July 2017, 05:13

I was right^

Thumb Elemental 22 July 2017, 08:15

You clearly don't get it Southern, there's multiple forms of Jihad, including financial and educational, as well as ultimatums of conversion. Both Iranians and wahabi ideologies use them, so tell me, why are you being such a dramatic baby?

Thumb Elemental 22 July 2017, 08:17

Still I'm right^ and only Southern gets this ridiculously vulgar when he's presented with the truth. By the way did the coke keep you up or what?