The Lebanese military is preparing for retaliatory attacks by Syrian-based jihadist forces that were pushed out of positions near the town of Ras Baalbek on the border with Syria.
"The Army is always ready for all eventualities, including the possibility of the terrorists launching retaliatory attacks in response to their defeat on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek," a senior military official who spoke in anonymity told the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star.
The Lebanese Army launched an assault on jihadist positions in Sadr al-Jarash and Harf al-Jarash near the outskirts of Ras Baalbek at dawn on Thursday. The fighting resulted in the retreat of the jihadists and the reclaiming of two hilltop positions from the militants, the Daily Star reported.
During the engagement, the Army was supported by artillery fire by units that were positioned in Talet al-Hamra and Wadi Rafeq.
The Lebanese Army released a statement on Thursday stating that they have managed to wrest control of the two hilltop positions from the jihadists and that they have recovered a "number of explosive devices, medium and light weapons and ammunition, as well as military equipment belonging to the terrorists."
The statement further said that the pre-emptive attacks were "aimed at preventing terrorist groups from infiltrating [Lebanon] and attacking citizens."
It was earlier reported by the Daily Star that the Islamic State was planning an expansion into Lebanon. The Islamic State is allegedly drawing up military and administrative plans for creating an "emirate" as an expansion of the State that was created from captured territories in Iraq and Syria last year.
Intelligence sources told the newspaper that the Islamic State continues to recruit and train suicide bombers for attacks against Shi'a Muslims and Westerners in Beirut, in Lebanon.
