Lebanese Army Carries out Raids, Arrests in Arsal, Zahle

Local Editor

Lebanese security sources reported that the army launched a major operation inside a restive northeastern border town Wednesday, arresting around 27 people including a key suspect behind the assassination of a policeman last month.

Two suspected terrorists were also killed, including an "ISIS" commander, and several others wounded during the sweeping raids in Arsal, as soldiers sealed all entrances to the town to prevent anyone from entering or leaving. Army helicopters hovered overhead during the operation, which was concentrated in the town's Wadi al-Arnab neighborhood.

One source said the at least three high-ranking terrorists were captured during the raids, including Walid Ammoun, the suspected mastermind behind the January 8 assassination of Internal Security Forces officer Zaher Ezzedine.

In the process, soldiers also discovered an unidentified body in a vehicle of one of the suspects arrested.

However, the army came under fire from a car during the raids, prompting soldiers to return fire, according to different sources.

Thousands of "ISIS" and al-Nusra terrorists have been holed up on Arsal's eastern outskirts for about two years in which the army regularly targets their positions with artillery shells and occasional helicopter strikes.

Separately, also on Wednesday, the army announced the arrests of Hasan al-Fataly and Syrian national Bassil al-Saloum for their suspected affiliation to terrorist groups. A statement said Fataly was arrested in the Zahle district town of Ablah, and Saloum was stopped in the Metn district area of Mtaileb.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team