Explosive Device Dismantled in Arsal

An explosive device was discovered on Wednesday in the restive northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

LBCI television said the bomb was defused by a military expert in Arsal's Ras al-Sarj area.

"It weighed 400 grams and was set for remote detonation," the TV network added.

The finding comes two days after a roadside bomb targeted an army vehicle in the same Arsal area, lightly injuring five soldiers.

Militants from the extremist Islamic State group and Fateh al-Sham Front -- formerly al-Nusra Front -- are entrenched in rugged areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border and the army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian army have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border.

The two groups briefly overran the town of Arsal in August 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles.

The retreating militants abducted more than 30 troops and policemen of whom four have been executed and nine remain in the captivity of the IS group.