The Lebanese army will only fight in the north of the country if threatened by terrorists, a military source said Sunday, as the battle at Jaroud Arsal entered a third day.
Hezbollah militia forces are fighting against Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham (JFS), formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, in the barren, mountainous area close to the Syrian border.
The military source stressed that the Lebanese army is not entering the battle, and that the army is only targeting terrorists moving toward its positions.
The source expects the battle to be protracted, saying that it is taking place in an area extending over 340 square kilometers, on rugged and difficult terrains.
According to a Lebanese military source, fighters aligned with Saraya Ahl Al-Sham, formerly of the Free Syrian Army, announced that they do not to want to get into a battle with Hezbollah. The Saraya Ahl Al-Sham fighters moved on Sunday to Wadi Hmeid, where the Syrian refugees are located.
The military source said that the number of those who retreated did not exceed 150 militants, and they only abandoned three or four sites.
A medical source at Al-Rahma Hospital in Arsal told Arab News that four wounded Saraya Ahl Al-Sham militants were allowed to pass through Lebanese army-controlled areas and were then taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The medical source pointed out that JFS militants have a field hospital with developed equipment. It added that Daesh also has a field hospital with Syrian doctors working in it.

Source: Arab News