DAILY SCOPE: Terrorists Defeated in Qalamoun, Threaten Antiquities in Syria

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NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

AS-SAFIR

Qalamoun Battles Double Fears of "Israel" over al-Jaleel

Nasrallah Declares Victory Tomorrow, Results Go beyond Qalamoun

AL-AKHBAR

"Israel": War with Hizbullah in Two, Three Years

Qalamoun Armed Terrorists: Defeat, Stubbornness, and Reciprocal Accusations

Tadmor in Danger, Daesh Executes 26 Civilians in its Outskirts

AD-DIYAR

Daesh Kills 150 from Popular Gatherings in Falluja

AL-LIWAA

‘Camp David' Summit: Nuclear Deal for Gulf Security

Daesh Threat to Historic Sites of Tadmor

AL-JOMHOURIYA

Obama: Gulf Major Ally

Lebanese newspapers on Friday focused on the ongoing battle in Syria's Qalamoun, with more terrorist takfiris fleeing the area into Lebanon's outskirts of Arsal area. Papers also foresaw the speech of Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who is expected to declare victory in Qalamoun in a televised speech he will deliver on Saturday. The papers also expected that the Hizbullah leader will touch on the strategic and political developments in the region.

Sayyed Nasrallah to declare Qalamoun Victory--- AS-SAFIR

As-Safir newspaper wrote on Friday that the Secretary General of Hizbullah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will ‘melt the last iotas of snow of the Qalamoun region' in his televised speech due on Saturday, in a qualitative speech that includes a panoramic documentary that explains all the military, security, and political dimensions of the Qalamoun battle. This comes as the battle has reached its very last stages with the resistance and the Syrian army controlling the strategic mountains and encircling the armed groups in Arsal outskirts and some of the hills and mountains in the Northern part of the region.

The paper also highlighted that Sayyed Nasrallah might shed light on "Israeli" dimension in the Qalamoun area, reflected in the growing military fear in Tel Aviv from Hizbullah's capability in entering the upper part of al-Jaleel, especially after its unprecedented military skillsin bleding between guerilla fighting and classical army in the battles against the takfiri armed groups in the strategic mountains.

As-Safir further anticipated that Sayyed Nasrallah will declare victory, and talk about the strategic dimension of the battle as well as some ground details. He will once again, according to the paper, assure that the resistance forces and the Syrian army have the capability to achieve the goals they determine; with the good example of defeating the terrorist groups in the eastern mountain chains of Lebanon. He will also assure that the battle is ongoing until the total defeat of the terrorists, and that the allies in the resistance axis are one heart and one hand.

Islamic Emirate in Arsal? AL-BINAA

Informed sources told al-Binaa newspaper that more than one thousand terrorist fighters have fled to the outskirts of Lebanon's Arsal region, wondering if these groups might launch attacks on the Lebanese Western areas of Ras Baalbeck and Qaa.

The sources underscored the important role of the Lebanese army in confronting the terrorist groups, who will be enclosed by Hizbullah and the Syrian army. The sources also pointed out that the Syrian army and Hizbullah will not enter the area of Arsal due to the sensitive sectarian situation there, leaving the duty to the Lebanese army.

Moreover, a military source told al-Binaa that the armed groups entering Arsal belong to al-Nusra front led by Abu Malek al-Talli, with rising fears of declaring a so-called Islamic emirate in Arsal outskirts, which would be in first place due to the nurturing environment and the political support they receive from the March 14 camp.

CENTCOM Officials in Beirut --- AL-JOMHOURIYA

Senior US military officials are due in Beirut soon to follow up on arming and training the Lebanese Army, according to a report published Friday. Local daily Al-Joumhouria said a delegation from the US Central Command, or CENTOM, will arrive in Beirut in the coming hours for talks with Defense Minister Samir Moqbel and senior Lebanese Army officers. The short report claimed the visit was aimed at ensuring implementation of the follow-up process of arming and training the Lebanese Army under an agreement between Washington and Beirut.

Centcom is the military command structure that oversees all US military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and all across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. It is housed within the grounds of MacDill Air Force just outside Tampa, Florida.

ISIS Threat to Antiquities in Syria ---THE GUARDIAN

The so-called Islamic State militants advanced to the outskirts of the Syrian town of Palmyra on Thursday, putting the extremist group within striking distance of some of the world's most magnificent antiquities, sad the Guardian.

That raised fears that the ancient city of Palmyra, with its complex of columns, tombs and ancient temples dating to the first century A.D., could be looted or destroyed. Militants from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, have already destroyed large parts of ancient sites at Nimrud, Hatra and Nineveh in Iraq. So-called Islamic State leaders denounce pre-Islamic art and architecture as idolatrous even as they sell smaller, more portable artifacts to finance their violent rampage through the region.

The fighting on Thursday took place little more than a mile from the city's grand 2,000-year-old ruins, which stand as the crossroad of Greek, Roman, Persian and Islamic cultures.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's director of antiquities, said that the treasures of Palmyra, a Unesco World Heritage site, were in serious danger. "If I.S. enters Palmyra, it will spell its destruction," Mr. Abdulkarim told Agence France-Presse. "If the ancient city falls, it will be an international catastrophe."

Source: al-Ahed News