A Lebanese minister praised the Army for successfully pushing back Islamist jihadists in an offensive last Thursday.
Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk lauded the decision of the commander of the Lebanese Army, General Jean Kahwagi, to launch a pre-emptive attack on two strategic jihadist positions on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon, near the border with Syria.
"[H]ad it not been for the courage of the Army commander, than this achievement would not have taken place," Machnouk said in an article in the Daily Star.
"What is more important is the fact that the right decision was taken at the right time," he added.
The Lebanese Army launched a pre-emptive strike at dawn on Thursday, targetting two hilltop positions in Sadr al-Jarash and Harf al-Jarash that were being held by Syrian jihadists. The engagement succeeded in driving out jihadist elements from the hilltop positions.
An Army statement stated that the Army's attack was "aimed at preventing terrorist groups from infiltrating [Lebanon] and attacking citizens" following reports that the Islamic State was gearing up to expand into Lebanon and was training suicide bombers for future attacks against Shi'a Muslims and Westerners in Beirut.
An article in the Daily Star reported earlier that top ISIS commander Abu Musaab Halous was seen in the town of Qalamoun in Syria with other ISIS field commanders. According to the Daily Star, sources within the Lebanese intelligence community said that Halous was discussing plans for the formation of military units with a view to expansion into Lebanon.
Qalamoun is a stronghold of Syrian rebel forces, most of which have already declared allegiance to the Islamic State.
General Kahwagi vowed on Friday to "crush" the jihadis that threaten to destabilise and attack Lebanon, saying in a separate article in the Daily Star that the Army "has no (other) choice" but to defeat terrorism.
