Clashes Between Al-Nusra Front and ISIS Spill Into Lebanese Territory

Clashes between militants of the Islamic State group and the Al-Nusra Front, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, in Syria spilled into the Bekaa Valley in northern Lebanon on Monday, April 9, resulting in the deaths of several fighters from both sides. According to Reuters, a security source and the Lebanese state news agency reported that during the clashes, 18 Al-Nusra Front militants were killed and six were captured. Additionally, 14 members of the Islamic State were killed. The group stated in an online statement that it killed 17 Al-Nusra Front members. The clashes occurred on Sunday near the town of Jarajir close to the Qalamoun mountains on the Syria-Lebanon border and later spread to the towns of Ras Baalbek and Arsal in Lebanon. The Lebanese state news agency reported that the Al-Nusra Front attempted to retake some areas captured by the Islamic State on Sunday. The report noted that the clashes resulted in 10 deaths from Al-Nusra Front and eight from the Islamic State. The border between the two countries in this mountainous region is not precisely delineated, which often leads to clashes between opposing forces in Syria spilling into Lebanese territory. The Al-Nusra Front, loyal to Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State are two very powerful forces opposing Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria. The two groups have also been fighting each other since they fell out in 2013. Forces from both groups have repeatedly entered Arsal from the surrounding hills. They controlled the town of Arsal for a time in 2014 before being forced to retreat by the Lebanese army. Despite this, security sources have stated that both groups maintain a significant presence in the town, where thousands of Syrian refugees live in very difficult conditions.