LAF soldiers thwart infiltration attempt into Lebanese territories

The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that a number of militants were killed and others were injured Monday overnight when Lebanese Armed Forces thwarted their attempt to infiltrate into the Lebanese territories from the Syrian border town of Flita.

Flita is located near the Lebanese border town of Arsal.

Last month, the northeastern border town of Arsal witnessed heavy clashes between the Lebanese army and armed groups.

The clashes left at least 20 soldiers dead and 86 injured, while dozens of ISF and LAF soldiers were abducted by the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front militants.

Turkey's Anatolia news agency quoted on Saturday (September 06) a commander of the Islamic State as saying that the group had executed one of the captured Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers for trying to escape.

"LAF soldier Abbas Medlej tried to escape from prison and after he attempted to open fire at IS members, we took control of the situation by slaughtering him," the Islamic State- Qalamoun branch said in a statement.

Also on August 28, the Islamic State posted photos and a video online depicting a militant beheading a blindfolded hostage who was identified as Lebanese Armed Forces Sergeant Ali al-Sayyed.

On Sunday (August 31), Lebanon's military said an al-Qaeda-linked Syrian rebel group released five members of the Lebanese security forces captured earlier in August in a cross-border raid.

The men were taken hostage when militants from Syria took over the Lebanese border town of Arsal for five days before withdrawing toward the Syrian frontier, taking with them Lebanese soldiers and policemen as hostages. The clashes were the most dangerous spillover of violence from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

While the release of the five men provided a degree of relief, concerns remain about the troops and policemen still in captivity.