Lebanon's battle against ISIS comes as the jihadist group faces assaults in both neighboring Syria and Iraq

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Lebanese soldiers renewed fire on Islamic State (ISIS) group positions on the country's eastern border with Syria on Sunday, August 20, after capturing a third of the territory held by jihadists in the area. Lebanon's army began its operation in the Jurud Ras Baalbek and Jurud al-Qaa region early on Saturday, August 19, and in the first day captured around 30 square kilometers (11 miles square) of territory, a military spokesman said. At least 20 ISIL fighters have been killed in clashes since the army unleashed its operation on Saturday, and 10 soldiers wounded, military spokesman Brigadier General Nazih Jreij said. Hezbollah said Saturday it had launched a simultaneous operation against ISIS from the Syrian side of the border, where the group's fighters are battling alongside President Bashar al-Assad's army against rebels. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in a recent speech, said the Lebanese army would attack ISIS from its side of the border, while his organisation and the Syrian army lead the assault from the other side. The Lebanese army has sought to keep out of the conflict but has been forced to take action since jihadists of ISIS and then Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nassau Front assaulted the border town of Arras in 2014 and abducted 30 soldiers and police. Sixteen were released in a prisoner swap in December 2015, but another nine solders are believed to remain in ISIL hands, their fate unknown.
The Lebanese Armed Forces launches operation Fajr al-Joroud, and on the first day recaptures 30 km of territory near the Lebanon–Syria border formerly occupied by ISIS militants. Twenty ISIS militants were killed and 10 Lebanese soldiers were wounded.