Report: Drop in Number of Militants in Border Area over Siege
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The number of al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front and Islamic State group militants has dropped after the terrorists were besieged by the Lebanese army in the eastern Bekaa Valley and by Syrian troops and Hizbullah fighters on the other side of the border, pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Thursday.
Al-Nusra gunmen are located in the area of al-Kassarat in Wadi Hmeid on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, which is a zone blockaded by the Lebanese army from the west and the Syrian military and Hizbullah in the east.
As for IS militants, their presence is concentrated on the outskirts of al-Qaa in Ras Baalbek and parts of Arsal's outskirts.
But the terrorists have found escape routes to either head to Turkey and Iraq or enter Lebanon by using fake IDs to escape the siege, the newspaper quoted sources as saying.
The total number of militants now present on the porous Lebanese-Syrian border is 700 after they were in the thousands, they said.
They also said that al-Nusra Front and the IS are still keep Lebanese servicemen hostage to prevent a further deterioration in their strength in the border region.
Al-Nusra is holding 16 Lebanese soldiers and policemen while the IS has in its custody six servicemen.
The troops and police were taken hostage when the two terrorist groups overran Arsal in August last year and engaged in heavy clashes with the army.
They have so far executed four of them.
While negotiations with al-Nusra Front to release the captives have made progress, the talks with the IS have reached a dead-end over the group's crippling demands.
“The leaders of the two organizations are fully aware” that if they release the hostages, then “this would mean the end of their presence in the (border) region,” said the sources.
“That's why they are resorting to the procrastination policy in the negotiations” aimed at setting the hostages free, the sources added.
23 July 2015, 09:26
64
اطلاق نار كثيف أمام مستشفى رياق في بيروت تزامنا مع تشييع قتلى لميليشيا حزب الله
23 July 2015, 11:29
54
Indeed, God bless the Resistance for saving the army the trouble of dealing with thousands of takfiri masses from Zabadani.
When March 14s last takfiri elements are defeated, then they will be cut off from their allies in Lebanon God willing.
23 July 2015, 15:54
00
You repeat your propaganda in every post. You praise the "resistance" which is no longer a resistance, but an agent of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, you link March 14 to Sunni extremists, which is clearly not true, as they represent the opposition to Iran in Lebanon of all faiths, you use the picture of the terrorist Mughnieh in your avatar, you use the term "takfiri" invented by Hassan Nasrallah to disparage anyone opposed to Syria and Iran's policies. Then you pretend to be a nationalist and a devout Moslem which you are neither. Nationalists look after their country's interests before being beholden to their financiers, and devout people do not encourage war and wanton killing and massacres. You are simply a sold out mercenary to Iran.
23 July 2015, 16:12
74
Ufffff what a warrior u are smallah LMFAOOOO Keyboard Hero Wo Bass!
23 July 2015, 17:06
42
Remember hiding under the Israelis skirts? You parents probaly didn't tell you about those stories my friend. You were not as honorable as you like to portray yourselves.
The Syrians saved you people, and when you thought Israel was stronger you sided with them instead.
23 July 2015, 19:38
13
(2). Mystic. Every time we expose your failures, you replicate of accusations over Israel. Ya faylasoof enet ya Mystic, let's call a spade by its real name, you are not defending Lebanon as your HA propaganda machine wants us to believe, you are doing best as you can to demolish it. Your forays into Syria then to Yemen have nothing to do with nationalism but more so with sectarianism or the aim to culminate the Iranian dream of the Wilayet El Faquih. You want us to believe that you have all of Syria and Yemen under your control when even a border town is something that amounts to mission impossible. In Yemen, there's literally no town or city or village left intact, yet you coyly speak of things that best belong to the Superman series.
23 July 2015, 19:43
12
(3). Mystic. No matter how we turn the dices, you always have that uncanny love to brandish on us that Israeli jackknife. Everyone who is in the know, knows that Israel created both Hezbollah and Hamas so that both their people and countries respectively can remain dysfunctional and never aspire to real statehood, are you that blind ya Mystic or trying to remain philosophical?! You want people to believe that your Hezbollah is invincible? How come all those precious young lives are being wasted both in Syria and Yemen, how and why? Everyone that has his head properly anchored over his shoulders will tell you, that the day Israel feels that it doesn't need you people anymore, you will not last one day. At the moment your role is to keep bringing it back whenever we raise our heads to semi-prosperity levels.
23 July 2015, 19:49
13
(4). Mystic. Did you notice the piles of rubbish amassing in Lebanon? If the nation is unable to agree on a new dump site, if it cannot agree on a new parliament, if it cannot agree on a new government, or a new president, or a new army command, whom should be blamed other than your Hezbollah and its little lapdogs the FPM and other stooges of yours? This is what the enemies of Lebanon want, yet you never had a problem seeing your Iranian bosses sit with the big Satan Amreeka and negotiate and agree. You never saw how your sectarian brothers in Tehran partied like mad over the news, yet you want to accuse us of hiding under skirts? In 2006, can you ignore that Sayed Hassan fled wearing women's clothes? Now don't give me that bob-talk for God's sake, we know.
23 July 2015, 19:51
13
(5). Mystic. You see habibi, the very accusations that you are accusing us of, these in fact are the very things you and your side are suffering from. Then you have other serious ailments to contend with, your war in Syria is for the long haul, the one in Yemen just as bad. It is your side that is bleeding, not ours, it is your side that is being cornered everywhere in the globe, not ours. In Lebanon, just leave our precious army take care of our security, you people are now just too far, too far. Then forget it not, that the level of sheer hatred towards your people is growing, per day.
24 July 2015, 04:49
10
Yes you are the heroes and we are the weakest in Lebanon. Don't worry my friends, your internet LF force is intact.
23 July 2015, 17:10
42
Even funny is how Saudi Arabia, with their unlimited airstrikes and soldiers, haven't even overrun the Ansarullah at all.
Sanaa is still intact, and even when I watched Sky news the other day, you Saudis already declared victory in Aden, even though there are still sporadic clashes in the city.
"Iranian backed houthis" you call them, now how about your Wahabi backed takfiris ISIS and Nusra?
Keep vouching for them, we will see the outcome soon enough, Qalamoun is a perfect example.
23 July 2015, 17:13
52
Remember hiding under the Israelis skirts? You parents probaly didn't tell you about those stories my friend. You were not as honorable as you like to portray yourselves.
The Syrians saved you people, and when you thought Israel was stronger you sided with them instead.
The takfiris in Syria are doing the same thing, hiding in Golan and receiving first class medical aid from the Jews.
23 July 2015, 20:07
12
@lebnanwobass, I have a feeling that Mystic is old enough to know. Of course you do know that with him my debating relationship is based on mutual respect, but notwithstanding I still sense that party thinking has overwhelmed his rationality.
24 July 2015, 04:47
20
I couldn't care less. Anyone siding with the zionists are traitors, no matter sect. That was also proven when the Lahd army you love was kicked out of the south by the Resistance.
24 July 2015, 03:50
00
abbas, do you hold dual citizenship to cheer for Syria as well as Lebanon? At least you mentioned Lebanon first then Syria.
24 July 2015, 04:54
20
Don't be too happy Texas, you've already made the mistake of producing wrong analysis more than once. Time will tell in both Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. It will surely continue for many years to come, God will decide the outcome.
