Lebanese army shells Nusra Front positions near Syria

By Hamza Teki

BEIRUT, Lebanon

The Lebanese army on Saturday shelled several Nusra Front positions near the town of Arsal near the border with Syria, a Lebanese security source has told Anadolu Agency.

The source said the army had fired several rockets, destroying the targets and injuring a number of Nusra Front militants who were treated at a field hospital in the Al-Oweini district on the outskirts of Arsal.

Last December, the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front handed over 16 Lebanese soldiers -- held since August of 2014 -- as part of a Qatar-brokered prisoner swap.

The Lebanese government, for its part, released several prisoners as part of the deal.

The Lebanese soldiers were originally captured during clashes between the Lebanese army and a handful of Syria-based militant groups, including both Nusra and Daesh.

In recent months, Daesh has beheaded two Lebanese soldiers in its custody while two others have been executed by Nusra.