Lebanon army arrests 18 Lebanese, Syrians linked to Islamic State: statement

[February 01, 2021]    BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's army said on Monday it had arrested 18 people, some Lebanese and others Syrian, with links to Islamic State.

The arrests came in "field operations" that took place over the past two weeks in the border town of Arsal in the north, an army statement said.

The individuals arrested confessed to belonging to the Islamic State jihadist group and supporting it, and several weapons were also confiscated, it said.

Juroud Arsal, a barren area in the mountains between Syria and Lebanon, was previously a base of operations for insurgents fighting in the Syrian civil war, including militants from Islamic State and the group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

(Writing by Maha El Dahan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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