Army 'Won't Coordinate with Anyone' Militarily in Border Assault

The Lebanese army “does not need anyone’s support in the military operation it intends to launch to oust the militants of the Islamic State group from the outskirts of the towns of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek,” a military source has said.

In remarks to al-Hayat newspaper published Sunday, the source also denied reports of possible assistance from the warplanes of Russia or the U.S.-led coalition.

“The Army Command is in constant communication with the U.S. side, which has been meeting its needs in terms of arms and ammunition, and it has not asked for assistance from the coalition’s fighter jets,” the source said.

Al-Mustaqbal newspaper meanwhile quoted senior military sources as saying that “the Lebanese army will not coordinate with anyone, neither with the Syrian army nor with others, seeing as it possesses enough military capabilities to liberate the outskirts.”

“The zero hour will only be set by Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, not by anyone else,” the sources added.

Also on Sunday, ad-Diyar newspaper reported that the army would attack the IS group “from the Lebanese side” and that the Syrian army and Hizbullah would pounce on the jihadists from the Syrian side in order to “ensure a quick victory in the battle.”

“Meetings are being held between the sides that will take part in the battle in order to coordinate the military operations and this battle cannot be fought without this coordination,” the daily reported.

The army has intensified its shelling of IS’ posts in recent days amid reports that an army operation to oust the jihadist group from the border region has become imminent.

The military developments follow a Hizbullah offensive that ended the presence of the jihadist al-Nusra Front group in Arsal’s outskirts.