Army Finds 66 Kilos of Explosive Chemicals in Arsal

A patrol for the army intelligence found on Wednesday three suspicious bags containing chemicals that can be used for making bombs in the Bekaa border town of Arsal.

The bags were found in the Ain al-Shaab area, according to an army statement.

The chemicals weighed about 66 kilograms and were equipped with an electric detonator, the statement added.

Military experts inspected the bags and worked on defusing the explosive material, which were transferred to a safe place for further investigations.

On September 11, the army dismantled a booby-trapped car containing 100 kilograms of explosives in the same area in Arsal. The vehicle had a Syrian license plate.

And on September 19, attackers detonated a roadside bomb as an army truck passed by on a road near Arsal, killing three soldiers and wounding two others.

Militants from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front overran Arsal last month and engaged in heavy battles with the Lebanese army.

The fighters withdrew to Syria but took with them hostages from the military and the Internal security Forces. They have beheaded three of them.

Arsal's outskirts are still witnessing sporadic clashes between the army and the gunmen.

Lebanon has seen a string of deadly car bomb attacks linked to Syria's war, most of which were claimed by Syria-based extremist groups.

Z.A.

Y.R.