ISIS In Lebanon: Army Arrests 11 Members, Including Local Commander

Eleven members of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, have been arrested near Lebanon’s border with Syria, the Lebanese army said Friday. The terrorist group has claimed several blasts in the country in the past two years, killing several people.

The ISIS fighters were arrested following an operation by the army near the country’s border town of Arsal, the army said. An ISIS center was targeted in the operation and Ahmad Youssef Amoun the local commander of the extremist group, was captured and seriously injured, the Associated Press reported, citing the army.

No security personnel were injured in the operation, the army said.

Amoun, who was taken to a hospital in Beirut for emergency treatment, had carried out several blasts that rocked Lebanon recently, according to the army. He was reportedly involved in making car bombs that were used in attacks across the country, including the southern suburbs of Beirut. The army said that the commander was also behind attacks on army posts during conflict in the region in August 2014 when ISIS and al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate Al Nusra Front occupied Arsal for a brief period.

Last December, 16 Lebanese hostages held by Al Nusra were released following lengthy negotiations. However, ISIS is yet to release nine of 25 Lebanese hostages held during the Arsal fight in 2014.