Lebanon shells terrorist positions in Syria border

The Lebanese army has shelled militant positions in the border zone with Syria near a town that was seized by extremist insurgents earlier this month, a security source says.

The Wednesday clash was the first such engagement since the radical Takfiri militants including terrorists affiliated to the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) withdrew from the town of Arsal three weeks ago following five days of deadly battles with the army.

The army opened fire with artillery after observing suspicious movement by the militants, the source said. There was no immediate information on casualties.

The five-day battle in Arsal marked the biggest spillover to date of the Syrian civil war into Lebanon. Dozens of people were killed, including 18 soldiers.

The insurgents are members of the Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in the Syrian war, and ISIL which has seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

Alalam