25 August, 2017
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday that Lebanon must dislodge Islamic State (IS) militants from Lebanese territories, especially its border with Syria.
The colonel's comments to the Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV came as Lebanese artillery and aircraft pounded IS positions on the other side of the border as part of Lebanon's own offensive against the extremists.
On August 19, the Lebanese army launched an operation to defeat Daesh terrorists on its side of the border with Syria.
"Another objective is to unveil the fate of the Lebanese military men with Daesh and return them back to their families", the Hezbollah general secretary said.
The Hezbollah leader confirmed that dozens of Daesh militants have been killed in Syria and dozens had handed themselves over to Hezbollah or the Syrian Army.
Any joint operation between the Lebanese army on one hand and Hezbollah with the Syrian army on the other would be politically sensitive in Lebanon and could jeopardize the sizeable US military aid the country receives.
"So far, more than 270 square km have been fully captured on Syrian land (by Hezbollah and the Syrian army)".
The frontier battle was nearing a "very big victory", Nasrallah said.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese Army held a news conference announcing that out of the original 120 sq.km. controlled by Daesh, 100 sq. Although Lebanon has said it is not cooperating with either Hezbollah or Syria. As opposition factions in Syria were trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad from power, IS militants were able to gain a foothold in the country. He said in televised remarks that for any settlement for IS fighters in the area, the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers whom the extremists kidnapped in 2014 must be revealed.
"But the condition is an official Lebanese request, and public coordination, not under the table", he said.
