The Lebanese army targeted on Sunday militants hidden in Madinat al-Malahi area in the barrens of the eastern border town of Arsal.

The Lebanese army targeted on Sunday militants hidden in Madinat al-Malahi area in the barrens of the eastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

"The army targeted with heavy artillery suspicious movements by armed men in Madinat al-Malahi area in Arsal's Wadi Hmeid village," it said.

Meanwhile, army arrested 17 Syrian nationals during raids in Al-Marj town of the eastern Bekaa region, suspected of creating a terrorist group.

Five more Syrians were also arrested in the place for entering the Lebanese territory illegally, an army statement said.

"The arrested were holding a number of cellular phones and computers, in addition to two motorcycles and two cars without license," it added.

On May 2011, Syrian army launched a wide-scale operation against armed groups and gunmen operating in the country, who started to escape the army blows and infiltrate illegally to Lebanon, creating terrorist pockets in the mountainous area on border with Syria.

Eight Lebanese troops were martyred and several others were wounded in bloody clashes that erupted between the army and gunmen in the Hamra Hill on Friday when terrorists attacked a military surveillance post in Ras Baalbek.