Hizbullah: Our Fighters Have Not Intervened in the Arsal Clashes
Hizbullah on Tuesday denied that its fighters were involved in the ongoing battles between army troops and extremist militants in the eastern border town of Arsal, hailing the cabinet's “firm stance to confront takfiri terrorism.”
"What is happening on ground, like dealing with the military situation, protecting citizens and confronting terrorist armed groups is exclusively the responsibility of the Lebanese army,” Hizbullah said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.
"And Hizbullah has not intervened in what is happening in Arsal,” the statement assured.
Sixteen soldiers have been killed and more then 86 others wounded since the eruption of the Arsal battle on Saturday while 22 troops have gone missing, according to an army statement.
The clashes began after the arrest of a Syrian man accused of being a top leader of al-Qaida's Syrian branch al-Nusra Front. Following his arrest, gunmen surrounded army posts before opening fire, sparking the clashes.
Around 21 policemen were also taken hostage by the armed groups on Saturday.
In a related matter, Hizbullah hailed the the cabinet's “firm stance towards the latest developments in Arsal.”
"This stance reflects national consensus over supporting the army in its battles against takfiri terrorism and in confronting foreign gunmen's attempts that threaten civil peace and violate the Lebanese state's sovereignty,” it added.
The government on Monday announced the mobilization of all its political and security agencies in defense of Arsal in the face of the “flagrant aggression,” noting that the only way out of the current confrontation lies in the withdrawal of the “terrorists” from the border town.
Prime Minister Tammam Salam underlined after the cabinet's meeting that the government will spare no effort to support the army as it defends Lebanon, noting that it has asked French authorities to “expedite the delivery of arms as part of the deal with Saudi Arabia.”
Hizbullah's statement also saluted local “media outlets' solidarity with the military institution, and their abstention from publishing or airing anything that might weaken the army or serve the militants.”
S.D.B.
M.T.
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