Five killed, three wounded in Arsal explosion: Sources

At least five people have been killed and three others wounded in an explosion in the Arsal area of northeast Lebanon, security sources say. 

A security source, whose name was not released in reports, said a bomber entered the office of al-Qalamoun Muslim Scholars, a local council of Muslim figures, in the Sabil neighborhood of Arsal and “detonated an explosive belt” on Thursday.

The head of the council, Osman Mansour, and his deputy, Omar al-Halabi, were reportedly killed in the blast.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that emergency services were rescuing people from the rubble.

There have been conflicting reports about the incident. Some reports say a bomber detonated his explosives at the office; other reports say a bomb was planted near the site.

For months, the Lebanese army has been carrying out operations around Arsal, where thousands of militants from the Takfiri group Nusra Front, known for its terrorist activities in neighboring Syria, as well as members of the Daesh terrorist group, are believed to be operating in the area.

Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has also been involved in an anti-militant operation in the neighboring mountainous region of Qalamoun, retaking numerous positions from the Nusra militants and other militant groups.