Army Advances on Last IS-Held Area, Braces for Possibly Tough Battle

The army was on Thursday advancing on the last Islamic State-held area in the outskirts of the eastern border town of Ras Baalbek, amid relative calm on the fighting frontiers.

Army units are continuing to dismantle landmines, LBCI television reported.

“The army has reached a number of border points with Syria, except for the area surrounding the Mirtbayya valley, where the IS militants who have not fled to Syria are gathered,” sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Thursday.

“The army forces that have reached the border have not yet detected or met with any fighters from the Syrian army or the other forces. The army will stop at the border and will not advance a single inch inside Syrian territory,” the sources added.

Military sources told the same daily that the fourth stage of Operation Dawn of the Outskirts is expected to be “the most dangerous.”

“It involves liberating 20 square kilometers where a number of terrorists are thought to be hiding... All options are on the table and the Army Command is devising plans to deal with the fourth phase,” the sources added.

The army had announced Tuesday that it became in control of 100 out of 120 square kilometers of territory previously held by IS after capturing several strategic hills and areas.