Lebanon to fight Syria groups in self-defense: Source

BEIRUT

Lebanon will only take action against Syrian militant groups to defend its own territory, a senior Lebanese military source said Thursday.

He added that there was currently no fighting on Lebanon's eastern border between Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Syrian militant groups.

The source, who requested anonymity, cited previous battles in the Syrian town of Al-Qalamoun between Hezbollah and the Nusra Front, one of several militant groups fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"These battles take place far from Lebanese territory," the source told Anadolu Agency.

He went on to deny reports that fighting had also occurred in the town of Al-Tufayl, which straddles the border between Lebanon and Syria.

A few days ago, the Nusra Front carried out what it described as a "preemptive" attack on Hezbollah positions in Al-Qalamoun.

The attack followed news that Hezbollah was preparing for a major offensive – along with Syrian army troops – against militant groups based in the town.

Battles between Hezbollah and the Nusra Front continued to rage into Thursday.

Lebanon was dragged into Syria's ferocious civil war several months ago, when Syrian militant groups attacked Lebanese army positions on the border near Al-Qalamoun.

During the fighting, scores of Lebanese soldiers were killed or captured.

Lebanon has also taken in hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the bloodshed in their country.

According to the UN, some 220,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict, which is now in its fifth year.