Qawouq: Lebanon Capable of Liberating Ras Baalbek and Arsal

Hizbullah senior official Nabil Qawouq on Tuesday said the “battle against takfiri terrorism is not over yet,” assuring that Lebanon is capable of liberating the outskirts of Ras Baalbek and al-Qaa from the jihadist militants.

“The battle against takfiri terrorism is not over yet because the Islamic State is still occupying large areas of our homeland and plans to send suicide bombers to al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek. But the Lebanese army is ready and alert protecting people of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek,” said Qawouq in remarks he made at a ceremony held by Hizbullah in South Lebanon.

“The time has come to eradicate the presence of takfiris and their positions from our land. Lebanon is capable of liberating the outskirts of Ras Baalbek and al-Qaa. It will prove to the world that it liberated the land with the unconditional will of the Lebanese,” he added.

On Hizbullah's battle against al-Nusra Front militants in the outskirts of Arsal, Qawouq stated that Hizbullah has “grown stronger than ever before” after that “on the popular and political levels, despite the incitement and money spent to disfavor it, and the attempts to isolate the Resistance by categorizing it with terrorism.”

He said the Resistance has “gained the support of the majority of the Lebanese, ministers, deputies and media after its battle against militants in Arsal which made its “opponents feel disappointed.”

“The broad popular embrace for the Resistance has formed a deterrence to Israel in any future war because it was betting on keeping people away from the Resistance."

He pointed out that Israel wanted “victory for al-Nusra Front so as to establish a new security belt on Lebanon's eastern borders. By defeating al-Nusra Front in Arsal, we have thwarted the Israeli project which was betting on the Takfiri terrorism to drain and besiege the Resistance.”