Foreign-backed takfiri terrorists killed 8 Lebanese troopers on the Syrian border

The Lebanese army says at least eight soldiers have been killed in clashes with armed men on the Syrian border.

The Lebanese army said on Sunday that clashes had erupted a day earlier in the border area of Arsal in eastern Lebanon after armed men attacked an army checkpoint.

The fighting reportedly came hours after the army announced the detention of Imad Ahmed Jomaa, who has proclaimed himself a leader of al-Qaeda-linked militants and admitted to belonging to the al-Nusra Front.

The terrorist al-Nusra Front, along with other militant groups, has been fighting against the Syrian government.

The clashes on Lebanon’s border with Syria continued on Sunday with the military saying that “army units continued military operations in the Arsal area and its surroundings throughout the night and into the morning, pursuing and engaging armed groups.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam condemned the attack by the armed men as a “flagrant attack on the Lebanese state and the Lebanese armed forces,” adding, “The Lebanese government is dealing with these developments in a firm manner.”

He also urged all political forces “to exercise wisdom and responsibility and to make every effort to protect Lebanon and distance it from the dangers around it.”

The conflict in Syria has spilled over to Lebanon. Northern Lebanon has been the epicenter of fierce clashes between the supporters and opponents of the Syrian government.

Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. Over 160,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the violence fueled by the Western-backed militants.