Two people were killed Saturday when gunmen stormed a police post in eastern Lebanon after clashing with army troops over the arrest of an alleged Syrian jihadist, security sources told Agence France-Presse.

The two men, residents of the border town of Arsal, were killed trying to prevent the gunmen from storming the nearby police post, the sources and Lebanon’s official National News Agency said.

Syrian rebels crossed into Lebanon, raided a border town and captured several soldiers, a security source told the Associated Press. The Lebanese army general said that the gunmen attacked army positions near the town of Arsal and troops returned fire.

However, the Lebanese army soon announced that it has freed the captured soldiers.

Saturday’s attacks came hours after the army said troops have detained Syrian citizen Imad Ahmad Jomaa, who identified himself as a member of Syria’s al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

AFP reported that the clashes broke out close to Arsal, many of whose residents support the uprising against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad.

Local media said the army had deployed in force in the area after gunmen surrounded several army checkpoints following the arrest, and that two military helicopters were headed to the region.

The army said in a statement it had arrested Jomaa at noon and that he had admitted to belonging to Al-Nusra Front, which is Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.

Arsal is a predominantly Sunni town hosting tens of thousands of Syrian refugees and has supported the Sunni-led uprising against Assad.

The area has been the scene of frequent tensions with Lebanese security forces, as well as air raids and shelling by Syrian troops across the border who say they are targeting rebel forces holed up in the mountainous region.

Al-Nusra Front has been fighting against Syrian government forces along with other rebel groups.
Lebanon army pleads firm action

Lebanon’s army pledged to respond in a “decisive and firm” manner to prevent the Syrian conflict spilling into Lebanon after two soldiers were killed in clashes with gunmen.

“The army will not allow any party to transfer the battle from Syria to its territory (Lebanon),” the statement said.

“The army will be decisive and firm in its response and will not remain silent as foreigners try to turn our land into a field for crime and terrorism, murder and kidnapping.”
Syria troops kill 50 jihadists near Lebanon

Meanwhile, Syrian troops backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah killed at least 50 jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Nusra Front late Friday, activists said on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Islamists clashed Friday night and into Saturday morning with troops loyal to Syrian al-Assad and his allied forces in the Qalamoun region near the Lebanese border.


(Al Arabiya with AFP and Associated Press)