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Battle of Arsal (2014)

Coordinates: 34°10′46″N 36°25′15″E / 34.1794°N 36.4208°E / 34.1794; 36.4208
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Battle of Arsal
Part of The Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon and the Qalamoun offensive (June–August 2014)
Date2–7 August 2014
(5 days)
Location
Arsal, Lebanon
Result

Lebanese Army and Hezbollah victory

  • Insurgents effectively expelled from Arsal
Belligerents

Al-Nusra Front

 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Lebanon Lebanon

Syria Syrian Arab Republic

Commanders and leaders
Islamic State Abu Hasan al-Homsi †[1]
Islamic State Abu Ahmed Jumaa (POW)[2]		 Samir Mouqbel
General Jean Kahwaji
Brig. General Chamel Roukoz
Colonel Maroun al-Qobayati
Colonel Nour al-Jamal †
Colonel Dany Harb †
Units involved
Unknown

Lebanese Army

Strength
700[3] Unknown
Casualties and losses
60 killed[4] 20 killed,[4][5] 85 wounded[6] and 49 captured (36 released, 13 executed)[7][8][9]
42[10]–50[6] civilians killed

On 2 August 2014, after Lebanese security forces arrested an al-Nusra Front commander, fighters from al-Nusra Front and ISIL surrounded Lebanese Army checkpoints in Arsal before attacking them and storming the northeastern town's police station, where they took at least 16 policemen hostage.[11][12] The militants then proceeded to take control of the town,[13] and captured two soldiers who were freed by the military later in the day.[11] The fighting continued into the next day and left 30 militants,[14] 10 soldiers and two civilians dead. 25 soldiers were wounded and 13 were missing and presumed captured.[15] Two of the missing soldiers were rescued the same day.[16]

On 4 August, the death toll had risen to 17 soldiers,[17] 50 civilians and 50 militants. 86 soldiers had been wounded and the number of missing had reached 22,[6] while 135 civilians and 15 militants were wounded.[18] Two of the dead civilians were infant Syrian refugees.[19] The military had advanced and captured[6] the technical institute building, which was seized by the militants the previous day,[16] as the town came under heavy shell fire from multiple directions. [20] In the evening, the Army also managed to capture Ras al-Serj hill.[21]

On 5 August, the military was attempting to capture two government buildings, while three soldiers and three policemen were released by the militants.[21] During the day's fighting, the ISIL commander for the Arsal area was reportedly killed,[1] while al-Nusra forces retreated from the town.[22] In the evening, a 24-hour cease-fire started.[13]

On 6 August, another three soldiers were released, while 10 soldiers and 17 policemen remained as captives.[23]

By 7 August, a fragile truce was established as ISIL forces also retreated from the town and redeployed along the border with Syria.[2][24][10] Their hideouts there were subsequently bombed by the Syrian Air Force, resulting in dozens of wounded militants. On 22 July 2017 Hezbollah controlled 90% of Jroud arssal.[25]

Two days later, the Lebanese Army entered Arsal in full force and re-established control over checkpoints that the militants had previously seized, while another soldier died of his wounds, bringing the military death toll to 18,[26] which was updated to 19 by 12 August. 60 militants were also confirmed dead,[4] as well as 42 civilians. The total number of civilians wounded was estimated at 400.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "ISIS commander killed in Arsal clashes: report". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Lebanon: Islamist militants threaten to reinvade Ersal unless conditions are met". Al Akhbar English. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Hezbollah prepares major offensive against ISIL".
  4. ^ a b c "Kahwagi: Army will do utmost to free hostages". The Daily Star. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Captured soldiers: They will kill us, if Hezbollah remains in Syria". 23 August 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d Dziadosz, Alexander. "Lebanese army advances in border battle with Islamists". Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  7. ^ 2 freed (2 Aug.),[1] 2 freed (3 Aug.),[2] Archived 22 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine 6 freed (5 Aug.),[3] Archived 5 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine 3 freed (6 Aug.),[4] 2 freed (17 Aug.),[5] Archived 5 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine 5 freed (30 Aug.),[6] 16 freed (1 Dec. 2015),[7] total of 36 freed
  8. ^ Syria's al-Qaeda branch Nusra Front to swap Lebanese soldiers for prisoners
  9. ^ Lebanon identifies bodies of soldiers killed while in IS hands
  10. ^ a b c Holmes, Oliver (7 August 2014). "Militants pull out of Lebanese border town with captives". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  11. ^ a b "8 Lebanon soldiers killed in Syria border clashes". Channel NewsAsia. 3 August 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Jihadists Extend Control Into Lebanese City". New York Times. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  13. ^ a b Mariam Karouny; Tom Perry (6 August 2014). "Ceasefire agreed in Lebanese border town battle". The Star. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  14. ^ "11 soldiers, 30 militants killed in east Lebanon". The Daily Star. 3 August 2014. Archived from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  15. ^ "Lebanon suffers heavy losses in clashes with jihadists near Syria". AFP. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Lebanon army advances against militants, death toll rises". The Daily Star. 4 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  17. ^ "Thousands flee as Lebanon battles Syrian militants". Associated Press. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  18. ^ Dziadosz, Alexander (3 August 2014). "Lebanese army tries to expel Syria-linked militants from border town". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  19. ^ "Residents flee Arsal amid heavy clashes". The Daily Star. 3 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  20. ^ "Border Fighting Intensifies Between ISIS and Lebanon". New York Times. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  21. ^ a b "Truce collapses, clashes renew in northeast Lebanon". The Daily Star. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  22. ^ "Deal reached: ISIS to leave Arsal, soldiers to be released". The Daily Star. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  23. ^ "Sunni fighters, Lebanese army extend fragile cease-fire in border town". Al Jazeera America. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  24. ^ "Refugee convoy leaving Arsal stopped at border". NOW. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  25. ^ "Efforts underway to free captured Lebanese soldiers". The Daily Star. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  26. ^ "Lebanese Army enters Arsal in full force". The Daily Star. 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
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34°10′46″N 36°25′15″E / 34.1794°N 36.4208°E / 34.1794; 36.4208

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