Lebanese army to take tough stance against terrorism

Lebanese army Commander Gen. Jean Qahwaji stressed Wednesday that the army is "determined to fight terrorism until it is eliminated."

The army will exhaust all possible ways to free those soldiers kidnapped by militant groups, Qahwaji said, Xinhua reported citing the National News Agency.

"We renew today(Wednesday) what we had already confirmed before, our determination to continue combating terrorism with power and firmness until we eliminate it from its roots," he added.

In August, the military forces battled extremist groups from Al Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS) in and around the Bekaa border town of Arsal, and engaged in a five-day combat that resulted in the killing of 16 civilians and 20 soldiers.

Before the gunmen withdrew back to Syria, they kidnapped at least 30 soldiers and police officers. So far, seven were released while three soldiers were executed by al-Nusra and one beheaded by the IS.

The army also fought with Islamist militants in the northern port city of Tripoli's old souks and the nearby northern regions of Bhannine and al-Mhammara.

Government troops managed to restore law and order to the largest city in the north that has seen over the past few years more than 20 rounds of clashes between the Sunni neighbourhood of Bab el-Tebbaneh and the mostly-Alawite neighbourhood of Jabal Mohsen.