Lebanese army faces war of attrition
The Lebanese army waits for the authorities to take decisive action and cooperate with Hezbollah and the Syrian regime to fight radical groups in Lebanon.
In a series of clashes that lasted 72 hours, the Lebanese army succeeded in deterring the Jabhat al-Nusra attack on the Syrian border in Ras Baalbek, northeast of Lebanon. But the battles did not end there, and worrying signs are weighing on the Lebanese army and Lebanon.
The latest battle broke out at dawn Jan. 22. A military source revealed to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the army units, which were positioned in Tallet al-Hamra facing the Syrian border between Arsal and Ras Baalbek, were waiting for the snow that had hit the region two weeks earlier to subside. With the snow melting, the soldiers expected Jabhat al-Nusra to surprise them at the front lines, mainly Tallet al-Hamra hill. The army was getting ready to connect the hill to other neighboring spots by bringing in dredges and paving field roads to facilitate its movement and communication and allow it to increase surveillance on the surrounding lands.
Dawn on Jan. 22 brought both the terrorist attack and the army’s dredges. Clashes broke out, and the army shelled the terrorist positions and launched airstrikes from helicopters. After around 72 hours, the attackers withdrew, leaving behind 35 dead, according to the same military source. The army announced the death of five soldiers in its ranks.
A government source following up on the ongoing confrontations between the Lebanese army and Jabhat al-Nusra told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the issue requires radical action. It cannot be left to proceed as it is. In general, no army can engage in a war of attrition with any militia. The balance of power is not reassuring. The terrorists, divided between the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat al-Nusra and deployed along the northeastern border of Lebanon, can mobilize thousands of armed men who are ready to die.
