Al-Nusra Commander Asks for Millions of Dollars to Hand over Positions to Syrian-Lebanese Forces

The Arabic-language al-Mayadeen quoted a field source as saying that Abu Malek al-Tali, the commander of ISIL in the regions of Qalamoun and Arsal at the Syria-Lebanon border has asked $30mln to leave his positions for Turkey.

The source told al-Mayadeen that al-Tali has refused all the mediation proposals to prevent bloodshed, adding that al-Tali has announced that he does not care for the fate of his forces and is ready to receive $30mln, hand over the region to the Syrian and Lebanese forces and leave the region for Turkey via Beirut airport.

Al-Tali has even refused a safe, but, unpaid relocation to Idlib, the source continued.

Arab media reports said on Friday that the Syrian Army troop and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, backed up by the Russian Air Force, are to kick off a fresh round of operations against ISIL and Al-Nusra Front at border with Lebanon.

The Arabic-language al-Hadath news reported that the tactical plans have been prepared for military operation against ISIL and Al-Nusra Front in Jaroud mountain and the Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah fighters, equipped by modern Russian weapons, will start imminently their operation against terrorists.

In the meantime, the Russian Air Force will support the Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah with surveillance and combat missions in the operation.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army embarked on reinvigorating its positions at the borders with Syria to defend border villages against possible revenge attacks of the terrorists and block their flow into Lebanese territories while fleeing the battlefields in Syria.