Fierce clashes between the army and armed groups in the Bekaa town of Arsal continued a day after the Lebanese army announced its military operation against the Takfiri militants on Sunday.

Fierce clashes between the army and armed groups in the Bekaa town of Arsal continued a day after the Lebanese army announced its military operation against the Takfiri militants on Sunday.

State-run National News Agency said “violent gun battles broke out between the army and armed men near the municipal building after the gunmen tried to storm an army post near Arsal's technical school.”
“The town is also witnessing a massive exodus by residents while some fleeing cars are being targeted by gunshots,” NNA added.

Ten soldiers have been killed and 25 others wounded since the eruption of clashes on Saturday, Army chief General Jean Qahwaji announced on Sunday, as he revealed that 13 troops have gone missing and are “possibly being held prisoner.”

Earlier on Sunday the Lebanese army was calling up reinforcements in Arsal and issued a statement on Sunday saying that fierce clashes were taking place in Ersal, as part of the battle with Takfiris of the terrorist groups Nusra Front and ISIL.

"The Army continued its military operations throughout the night and this morning in Arsal and its outskirts, as it pursued armed groups and clashed with them," the statement said.

It added that the militants are shelling the town, noting that the army soldiers are responding to the fire sources.

Earlier on Saturday night, the army announced it had gained full control of the Wadi Hamyyed area in Arsal, saying the move was part of a process to liberate the nearby hills, National News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the army announced that ten soldiers were killed in the operation. However, it urged media outlets to abide by the statements which are only issued by the military command, noting that some media sources are circulating false information regarding the numbers of the martyrs.

Some media sources have attempted to spread false information regarding the number and names of military martyrs who fell during clashes taking place in the region of Arsal, a Lebanese Army communiqué indicated Saturday.

The Army Command urges all media concerned to stop the broadcast of such information from any source and rely only on data provided by the Army, the communiqué added according to NNA.