Six Syrian Gunmen Arrested in Arsal Region
The Lebanese army arrested on Thursday six Syrians on the outskirts of the Bekaa town of Arsal.
“In the framework of controlling the land borders, a Lebanese army checkpoint arrested six Syrians who were riding a number of motorbikes in the Arsal area of Wadi Hmayyed,” an army statement said.
The army said they were detained for “trying to enter Lebanese territory illegally and possessing two hand grenades and a night vision device.”
The detainees and the confiscated items were handed over to the relevant authorities which started interrogating them under the supervision of the judiciary, it added.
The arrest comes three days after a car bombing against a Hizbullah position in the Bekaa region of Baalbek.
Al-Manar television, which is affiliated with Hizbullah, said that the assailants behind the bombing came from Arsal.
Arsal municipality head Ali al-Hujairi told the Central News Agency on Wednesday: “I do not know why they always drag Arsal's name into the various security incidents that have been taking place in Lebanon.”
“They should leave the town alone,” he demanded.
A number of gunmen have repeatedly been arrested near Arsal in the past and the incidents have grown in frequency since the Syrian uprising turned into an armed conflict in 2012.
Arsal, which lies 12 kilometers from the border with Syria, has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter Syria, while also serving as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict.
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