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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 22 July 2017

Syrian army, Hezbollah launch

attacks near Lebanese border

By BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press
BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian army and members of Leba-
non’s militant Hezbollah group launched a major ground
offensive on Friday aimed at ending the yearslong pres-
ence of hundreds of militants in a border area between
the two countries. The offensive was widely expected
after negotiations with militants to leave the area failed
over the past days. The battle will be fought by Syrian
troops and Hezbollah gunmen on the Syrian side of the
border while the Lebanese army will likely fight against
the militants on the Lebanese side.
On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said
the country’s military is preparing a military operation to
secure a lawless section of the border with Syria while
Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah hinted in a
speech last week that a joint operation was in the works
with the Lebanese and Syrian militaries to expel insur-
gents from the border area.
Palestinians pray outside Jerusalem’s Old City, Friday, July 21, 2017. Israel police severely restricted Government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media
Muslim access to a contested shrine in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday to prevent protests over the
installation of metal detectors at the holy site. reported that military operations began early Friday
(AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean) from two fronts on the outskirts of the Lebanese town
6 killed in violence over contested holy site of Arsal and the Syrian village of Fleeta. Arsal is about
80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the Syrian city of Homs.
It said Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters captured
By M. DARAGHMEH said. Israel would be suspended some areas from the militants and killed and wounded
K. LAUB The army released footage on “all levels.” It was not a number of extremists.
Associated Press showing a blood-covered immediately clear if this The opposition’s Britain-based Syrian Observatory for
JERUSALEM (AP) — Escalat- kitchen floor. It said senior means long-standing secu- Human Rights said Syrian warplanes struck the area. It
ing Israeli-Palestinian ten- military officials are meet- rity coordination between added that Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters cap-
sions over the Holy Land’s ing overnight to discuss Israeli troops and Abbas’ tured some areas from insurgents.
most contested shrine how to proceed. forces will be halted. The rugged mountainous region is a stronghold of Syria’s
boiled over into violence A military spokesman At issue in the current round al-Qaida’s branch, known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham or
on Friday that killed six peo- called the Palestinian at- of violence are metal de- Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group
ple — three Palestinians in tack “a massacre.” tectors Israel installed at the and the Levant People’s Brigades. Friday’s fighting con-
street clashes in Jerusalem Israel TV’s Channel 10 said Jerusalem shrine this week centrated in areas controlled by JFS.
and three Israelis in a stab- the assailant was in his late in response to an attack by Video released by SCMM shows Hezbollah’s artillery
bing attack at a West Bank teens and had posted on Arab gunmen there. pounding militant positions while drone footage showed
settlement. Facebook that he was up- The metal detectors are smoke billowing from areas controlled by the militants.
After nightfall, a Palestin- set by the events at the Je- perceived by the Palestin- Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the
ian sneaked into a home rusalem shrine. Eli Bin, the ians as an encroachment Lebanese army shelled an area on the border to pre-
in the Israeli settlement of head of Israel’s rescue ser- on Muslim rights and por- vent a group of militants from entering the Arsal area. It
Halamish in the West Bank vice MDA, said an off-duty trayed by Israel as a need- added that the Lebanese army has asked air organiza-
and stabbed to death soldier next door heard ed security measure follow- tions to accompany Syrian refugees who want to flee
three Israelis. screams, rushed to the ing the attack that killed the fighting to safer areas. There will be concerns about
The military said the attack- home and shot the attack- two Israeli policemen. civilian casualties if the militants infiltrate Arsal, which is
er apparently jumped over er through a window. Bin Earlier Friday, several thou- home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled
the fence and infiltrated said the wounded attacker sand Palestinians in Jeru- civil war in their country.
the family’s home, surpris- was taken to a hospital. salem and the West Bank The militant-held areas are surrounded from all sides
ing them as they ate the Palestinian President Mah- clashed with Israeli troops, leaving them with no place to withdraw to.
traditional Sabbath eve- moud Abbas, meanwhile, burning tires or throwing Hezbollah says the border area has been used in the
ning meal. It said the Pal- announced that he is freez- stones and firecrackers. past to launch attacks deep inside Lebanon, includ-
estinian killed a man and ing ties with Israel, dealing Troops fired live rounds, ing a wave of bombings since 2013 that have killed
two of his children, while a blow to fledgling Trump rubber bullets and tear gas. scores of people. In 2014, militants briefly stormed Arsal
a woman was wounded administration efforts to Three Palestinians were and captured more than two dozen Lebanese soldiers
and taken to hospital. The try to renew long-dormant killed and several dozen and policemen. Al-Qaida exchanged the troops it was
man’s grandchildren were peace talks. hospitalized with live or rub- holding while nine soldiers taken by IS fighters are still
present but not harmed, it Abbas said contacts with ber bullet injuries.q missing.q