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Cease-Fire Between Syrian Insurgents and Lebanese Army Ends Quickly Cease-Fire Between Syrian Insurgents and Lebanese Army Ends Quickly
(21 days later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A 24-hour cease-fire between the Syrian Islamist insurgents who seized a Lebanon border town this past weekend and the Lebanese Army forces seeking to expel them collapsed almost immediately on Tuesday, raising new alarms about the infectious spread of Syria’s civil war into Lebanon. BEIRUT, Lebanon — A 24-hour cease-fire between the Syrian Islamist insurgents who seized a Lebanon border town this past weekend and the Lebanese Army forces seeking to expel them collapsed almost immediately on Tuesday, raising new alarms about the infectious spread of Syria’s civil war into Lebanon.
The cease-fire, which started at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, had been meant to provide a window for medical workers and relief officials to extricate the wounded and provide aid to thousands of residents and Syrian refugees in and around the town, Arsal, in the Bekaa Valley adjoining Syria. But within an hour, refugees and combatants reported, the shelling and bombing that have upended the region over the past four days resumed. Health workers said at least six people had been killed and at least 20 wounded. Some refugees said their tent encampments were in flames from what appeared to be indiscriminate artillery fire.The cease-fire, which started at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, had been meant to provide a window for medical workers and relief officials to extricate the wounded and provide aid to thousands of residents and Syrian refugees in and around the town, Arsal, in the Bekaa Valley adjoining Syria. But within an hour, refugees and combatants reported, the shelling and bombing that have upended the region over the past four days resumed. Health workers said at least six people had been killed and at least 20 wounded. Some refugees said their tent encampments were in flames from what appeared to be indiscriminate artillery fire.
“So far, two camps have been completed burned,” said one refugee, who identified himself only by his first name, Fares, for reasons of personal safety. He said many refugees who had fled their camps and returned on hearing news of the cease-fire were met instead with shelling.“So far, two camps have been completed burned,” said one refugee, who identified himself only by his first name, Fares, for reasons of personal safety. He said many refugees who had fled their camps and returned on hearing news of the cease-fire were met instead with shelling.
Another refugee, who identified himself as Abdalla, said he was in an Arsal home that was temporarily hosting 30 refugee families who were “watching their tents burning; there is no way to extinguish the fire.”Another refugee, who identified himself as Abdalla, said he was in an Arsal home that was temporarily hosting 30 refugee families who were “watching their tents burning; there is no way to extinguish the fire.”
Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and affiliated extremist groups seized Arsal on Friday after Lebanese security forces arrested one of their leaders in the town. The Islamic State fighters also took an unspecified number of hostages, including Lebanese police officers. It was the first time that the group, an offshoot of Al Qaeda that has played an increasingly important role in the Syrian civil war and that seized parts of northern Iraq in June, had occupied part of Lebanon.Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and affiliated extremist groups seized Arsal on Friday after Lebanese security forces arrested one of their leaders in the town. The Islamic State fighters also took an unspecified number of hostages, including Lebanese police officers. It was the first time that the group, an offshoot of Al Qaeda that has played an increasingly important role in the Syrian civil war and that seized parts of northern Iraq in June, had occupied part of Lebanon.
The seizure has injected new volatility into Lebanon’s own divisive politics. Many Lebanese Sunnis sympathize with the Syrian insurgency, which draws its strength from Syria’s majority Sunni population, but they have no affinity for ISIS, widely viewed as a terrorist group. At the same time, Lebanese Sunnis are wary of Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite organization that opposes the Islamic State group and supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.The seizure has injected new volatility into Lebanon’s own divisive politics. Many Lebanese Sunnis sympathize with the Syrian insurgency, which draws its strength from Syria’s majority Sunni population, but they have no affinity for ISIS, widely viewed as a terrorist group. At the same time, Lebanese Sunnis are wary of Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese Shiite organization that opposes the Islamic State group and supports the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
In a reflection of the tensions, a delegation from the Muslim Scholars Association of Lebanon, sent to Arsal on Monday to mediate between the ISIS fighters and the Lebanese Army, was attacked late Monday evening by unidentified gunmen, wounding a prominent Sunni cleric, Sheikh Salem al-Rafei, and at least two of his colleagues. In an interview on Lebanese television, he said his group’s car had narrowly avoided an artillery shell and was followed by volleys of gunfire.In a reflection of the tensions, a delegation from the Muslim Scholars Association of Lebanon, sent to Arsal on Monday to mediate between the ISIS fighters and the Lebanese Army, was attacked late Monday evening by unidentified gunmen, wounding a prominent Sunni cleric, Sheikh Salem al-Rafei, and at least two of his colleagues. In an interview on Lebanese television, he said his group’s car had narrowly avoided an artillery shell and was followed by volleys of gunfire.
In what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture, the ISIS militants released to the clerics three hostage Lebanese soldiers, who were able to leave Arsal on Tuesday afternoon. But any sense of good will seemed to evaporate later. Abu Osama, an ISIS militant leader in Arsal, said some fighters had relatives among the Syrian refugees and wanted guarantees that they would not be harmed by Lebanese security forces if they vacated the town.In what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture, the ISIS militants released to the clerics three hostage Lebanese soldiers, who were able to leave Arsal on Tuesday afternoon. But any sense of good will seemed to evaporate later. Abu Osama, an ISIS militant leader in Arsal, said some fighters had relatives among the Syrian refugees and wanted guarantees that they would not be harmed by Lebanese security forces if they vacated the town.
Hezbollah has denied assertions that it was helping the Lebanese security forces that have besieged Arsal.Hezbollah has denied assertions that it was helping the Lebanese security forces that have besieged Arsal.
In a statement, Hezbollah’s press office said, “What is happening on the ground regarding the military situation and the protection of the people and confronting the terrorist insurgents is exclusively the responsibility of the Lebanese Army, and Hezbollah did not interfere.”In a statement, Hezbollah’s press office said, “What is happening on the ground regarding the military situation and the protection of the people and confronting the terrorist insurgents is exclusively the responsibility of the Lebanese Army, and Hezbollah did not interfere.”