BEIRUT — Hezbollah is ready to confront jihadist groups in defending Lebanon, according to Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad. In an exclusive interview, Fayyad told Al-Monitor, “Hezbollah is determined to fight takfiri groups.” He said, “If the situation were to worsen, Hezbollah is ready to defend Lebanon.” Fayyad described Lebanon as being “under direct threat” from the Islamic State (IS).

The northeastern Lebanese village of Arsal, adjacent to the Syrian border, has been the scene of violent clashes between the Lebanese army and jihadist militants from IS and Jabhat al-Nusra. A number of Lebanese army soldiers and security personnel were taken captive by the jihadists during these clashes, and two of them were executed by IS.

Fayyad said Hezbollah was working with border villages to improve their security, but that it was ultimately the role of the Lebanese state to develop a security strategy for the border areas threatened by terrorist groups. “Hezbollah is not training groups. Many Christian border villages asked for our help to protect these towns and for military cooperation,” he said. “We have a principle: This task is that of the Lebanese state and the Lebanese army. Hezbollah is ready to cooperate as part of the Lebanese social fabric.”

While acknowledging that the presence of Syrian refugees is having “negative effects” on the country, Fayyad holds that civilian Syrian refugees should not be blamed for terrorist activity. “We cannot hold civilians responsible for what terrorist groups, which have taken refuge in camps, are doing,” he said.