Hezbollah, Syrian regime target fighters in Lebanon

By Furkan Guldemir

ARSAL, Lebanon (AA) - Hezbollah troops and Syrian Air Force (SAF) jets launched an attack on militants in a Lebanese border region Friday, local media said.

The pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen TV channel reported that the operation in Arsal, which lies on Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, primarily targeted fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as al Nusra Front, but also struck groups linked to the Free Syrian Army.

There was no official announcement on casualties but the government said the Lebanese military was monitoring the situation.

Human rights groups expressed concerns about the 100,000 Syrian refugees living in the region.

The SAF attacked targets in the mountains along the border, according to Al-Mayadeen.

The district of Arsal, which lies around 125 kilometers (78 miles) northeast of Beirut, has been the scene of frequent fighting between Syrian armed groups, Hezbollah and the Lebanese army.