Clashes between the Lebanese army and militants from the so-called “Free Syrian Army” took place Friday in the Lebanese border town of Ersal, after the latter prepared an ambush targeting elements in the army.
Clashes between the Lebanese army and militants from the so-called “Free Syrian Army” took place Fri
day in the Lebanese border town of Ersal, after the latter prepared an ambush targeting elements in the army.
The incident fell after an army force was heading to the mentioned region to trace an individual wanted for justice over being involved in kidnapping seven Estonians.
As it was performing its duty, the army force faced intensive gunshots, which led to the martyrdom of Officer with the rank of Captain, Pierre Bashaalani, and officer Ibrahim Zahraman, and the injury of a number of soldiers.
Khaled Hmayyed, who is wanted for justice, was also killed in the clashes.
For its part, the Lebanese Army Leadership said in a statement: “On Friday afternoon and as an army patrol was tracing an individual, wanted for justice over performing a number of terrorist operations, in the Beqaa city of Ersal, it faced an armed ambush. This led to clashes between elements in the patrol and militants, which resulted in the martyrdom of two officers, one of them with the rank of Captain, and to the injury of soldiers…”
“As a result, a big army force headed to the region, imposed security cordon around it, and began a wide search for the shooters,” the statement clarified.
From here, the army Leadership called on “the people of the town to completely cooperate with the measu
res the army forces took to arrest the shooters,” and warned that “it will not neglect any attempt to smuggle militants or hide them, and its perpetrators will be exposed to legal and field prosecution."
For their part, various Lebanese politicians condemned the attack on the army, including Lebanese Minister of Environment Nathem Khoury who considered that “this attack is an attempt to hit rank of the state, and prevent the army from performing its national duty in all the territories.”
In parallel, Leader of the Arab Tawheed party Weam Wahhab condemned the “terrorist attack” on the Lebanese Army in Ersal.
Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc MP Youssef Khalil, Lebanese Union Party, Arab Democratic Party SG, Lebanese National Accord Party leader, National Dialogue Party leader, Maronite General Council in Lebanon leader, and several other parties and politicians in Lebanon also condemned the attack.
