Local Editor

The Lebanese Army chief Gen Jean Qahwaji revealed that the LA is pursuing a recently discovered "terrorist" cell operating in Tripoli and expecting a renewal of clashes with militants in northeast Lebanon.

"We are working on chasing its members without falling into a battle that would lead to shedding innocent people's blood," he said during an interview with Sky News Arabia. "But if peaceful methods fail, we will refer to a military solution."

Qahwagi also announced that he expects the clashes with militants in the northeast border town of Arsal to resume, which is why he reinforced the Army's positions in the area.

"The Lebanese Army has reinforced its positions in the hills surrounding Arsal and insulated the town from its outskirts to besiege militants and prevent any reinforcements from reaching them and cut all supply routes," the military leader said.

As the Army took measures to fortify key positions and sequester the town from its barren outskirts, where ISIL and al-Nusra Front militants are holed up, key supply lines used to funnel food and other supplies were effectively severed.
In parallel, Qahwagi noted that Hizbullah did not intervene in the recent deadly clashes on Arsal's outskirts between the Army and extremists, explaining that the party's nearest checkpoint is 12 kilometers from the battlefield.

The Army commander also explained that his troops were attacked from inside Syrian refugee camps during Arsal's clashes, which explains the recent strict measures imposed on camps in the area.

He revealed that the detained terrorist Imad Jomaa confessed during interrogations that Arsal's extremist groups had planned to attack the Army and invade Shiite and Christian villages in the Bekaa Valley to provoke sectarian strife.
Asked whether he planned to run for president, Qahwagi said he was not seeking the post, but had not ruled it out.
"I refuse to achieve my ambitions on the expense of one drop of blood of a soldier or a civilian," he said in reference to his actions in Arsal. "We did not start the Arsal battle, it was imposed on us."

On the awaited military support to the Army, Qahwagi said that "the Saudi aid of $3 billion to the Lebanese Army that was announced one year ago has not yet gone into effect."

He said the Army needs night-vision binoculars, long-range sniper rifles and enhanced tech gear.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team