Battle of Arsal (2014)
Military confrontation
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The Battle of Arsal was a major combat engagement between Lebanese forces, and Salafi jihadist militants groups from Syria at the town of Arsal in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate of Lebanon. It involved soldiers from the Lebanese Armed Forces, Hezbollah fighters, and militants affiliated with the Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State. The Syrian Air Force also had limited involvement during the battle.
Lebanese Army and Hezbollah victory
- Insurgents effectively expelled from Arsal
| Battle of Arsal | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of The Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon and the Qalamoun offensive (June–August 2014) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Al-Nusra Front Islamic State |
 Lebanon Hezbollah Syrian Arab Republic | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Abu Hasan al-Homsi †[1] Abu Ahmed Jumaa (POW)[2] |
Samir Mouqbel General Jean Kahwaji Brig. General Chamel Roukoz Colonel Maroun al-Qobayati Colonel Nour al-Jamal † Colonel Dany Harb † | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
ISIL military | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 700[3] | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 60 killed[4] | 20 killed,[4][5] 85 wounded[6] and 49 captured (36 released, 13 executed)[7][8][9] | ||||||
| 42[10]–50[6] civilians killed | |||||||
Battle
On 2 August 2014, after Lebanese security forces arrested an Al-Nusra Front commander, fighters from Al-Nusra Front and ISIL surrounded Lebanese Army checkpoints in Arsal before attacking them and storming the northeastern town's police station, where they took at least 16 policemen hostage.[11][12] The militants then proceeded to take control of the town,[13] and captured two soldiers who were freed by the military later in the day.[11] The fighting continued into the next day and left 30 militants,[14] 10 soldiers and two civilians dead. 25 soldiers were wounded and 13 were missing and presumed captured.[15] Two of the missing soldiers were rescued the same day.[16]
On 4 August, the death toll had risen to 17 soldiers,[17] 50 civilians and 50 militants. 86 soldiers had been wounded and the number of missing had reached 22,[6] while 135 civilians and 15 militants were wounded.[18] Two of the dead civilians were infant Syrian refugees.[19] The military had advanced and captured[6] the technical institute building, which was seized by the militants the previous day,[16] as the town came under heavy shell fire from multiple directions. [20] In the evening, the Army also managed to capture Ras Al-Serj hill.[21]
On 5 August, the military was attempting to capture two government buildings, while three soldiers and three policemen were released by the militants.[21] During the day's fighting, the ISIL commander for the Arsal area was reportedly killed,[1] while Al-Nusra forces retreated from the town.[22] In the evening, a 24-hour cease-fire started.[13]
On 6 August, another three soldiers were released, while 10 soldiers and 17 policemen remained as captives.[23]
By 7 August, a fragile truce was established as ISIL forces also retreated from the town and redeployed along the border with Syria.[2][24][10] Their hideouts there were subsequently bombed by the Syrian Air Force, resulting in dozens of wounded militants. On 22 July 2017 Hezbollah controlled 90% of Jroud arssal.[25]
Two days later, the Lebanese Army entered Arsal in full force and re-established control over checkpoints that the militants had previously seized, while another soldier died of his wounds, bringing the military death toll to 18,[26] which was updated to 19 by 12 August. 60 militants were also confirmed dead,[4] as well as 42 civilians. The total number of civilians wounded was estimated at 400.[10]