No coordination with Hezbollah, Syria on Daesh: Lebanon

By Wasim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT

The Lebanese army has denied any coordination with Hezbollah group or the Syrian army in the ongoing offensive against Daesh terrorist group in eastern Lebanon.

"There is no coordination with Hezbollah or the Syrian army," military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ali Qansu told a news conference on Saturday.

"The army has been tightening the noose around Daesh since two weeks, not only today," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, the Lebanese army launched a military operation against Daesh militants in the border area with war-torn Syria.

Coinciding with the onslaught, Hezbollah announced that its fighters, along with the Syrian regime forces, had begun an offensive to recapture the outskirts of Qalamoun from Daesh in western Syria.

The military spokesman estimated the number of Daesh militants on the outskirts of the eastern Ras Baalbek town at around 600.

"They are armed with missiles and are holed up inside caves," he said, vowing to defeat them.

"Eliminating Daesh is our goal and regaining our captured soldiers is our first priority," he said. "The Lebanese army is fighting its toughest battle against terrorist groups."

The spokesman denied any talks between the Lebanese army and Daesh regarding the fate of nine soldiers held captive by the terrorist group since 2014.

Lebanese army forces had captured a number of strategic hills in Baalbek on Wednesday as part of the ongoing anti-Daesh operations in the area.

Earlier this month, Lebanese forces and Hezbollah fighters captured Juroud Arsal town near Syrian border after a military operation against militants based in the area.