Hezbollah, Syria army launch offensive at Syria-Lebanon border

Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Syrian army launched an offensive to drive insurgents from their last foothold at the Syrian-Lebanese border today, a pro-Damascus military commander said.

The operation targeted insurgents from the Nusra Front group in the mountainous outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal and areas near the Syrian town of Fleita, the commander said.

Media run by Hezbollah reported significant gains by its side the early stage of the operation.

A Lebanese security source said refugees living in the area were fleeing towards Arsal and the Lebanese army was facilitating their passage with UN supervision. It was not yet clear how many refugees were on the move, the source said. Several thousand Syrian refugees occupy camps east of the town in an area known as Juroud Arsal, a barren mountainous zone between Syria and Lebanon.

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Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said Nusra militants were under attack in Juroud Arsal and in areas near the Syrian town of Fleita. It broadcast footage showing an artillery gun being fired from the back of a truck flying the Hezbollah flag. Plumes of smoke were shown rising from the hills.

The Lebanese army is not taking part in the operation, the commander in the pro-Damascus military alliance and the Lebanese security source said. The Lebanese source said the army had assumed a defensive position, was monitoring militant movements, and would fire if it came under attack.

The Lebanese National News Agency later reported that the army had fired on a group of militants trying to flee the fighting towards Arsal town