Landmine blast kills Lebanese soldier near Syria border

By Wasim Saif al-Din

BEIRUT

A Lebanese soldier was killed and four others were injured in a landmine explosion near border with Syria on Tuesday, according to the Lebanese military.

The casualties occurred as bomb disposal teams were trying to defuse the device on the outskirts of the eastern town of Arsal, the army said in a statement.

On Saturday, the army launched a military offensive to dislodge Daesh terrorist group from a mountainous area near border with Syria, which fell into civil war in 2011.

Coinciding with the military operation, Lebanese group Hezbollah announced that its fighters, along with Syrian regime forces, had begun an onslaught to recapture the outskirts of Qalamoun from Daesh in western Syria.

So far, four soldiers have been killed and 14 others injured since the anti-Daesh operation began.

Earlier this month, Lebanese forces and Hezbollah fighters captured Juroud Arsal town near the Syrian border after a military operation against militants based in the area.