bbc- The Lebanese army has recaptured a third of an enclave held by so-called Islamic State near the north-eastern border with Syria, officials say. Troops launched an offensive near the town of Ras Baalbek on Saturday. The army says there are about 600 militants in the mountainous area, which IS has held since 2014 and is the group’s last stronghold in the country. About 20 militants have been killed in the latest operation and 10 soldiers have been injured, the military says. The offensive was aimed at ridding the area of IS militants, who are armed with anti-aircraft and armour-piercing missiles and drones, the Lebanese army said. Youssef Roufeyel, a resident of Ras Baalbek, told Reuters news agency that local people would do whatever was necessary for victory. “This battle requires help and support from the people, and we are behind the army and by their side,” he said. Islamic State group: The full story Is this the end for IS? The Lebanese army later posted an image on its website showing its troops waving both a Lebanese and a Spanish flag in Ras Baalbek in what it described as a “salute from our troops” to the victims of the Barcelona terror attack in which 13 people were killed on Thursday. IS said it had carried out the attack, which took place in the city’s famous Las Ramblas district, though it is not clear whether any of the attackers were directly connected to the group or simply inspired by it. The latest operation in Lebanon comes as IS faces a number of military strikes on territory it controls in both Syria and neighbouring Iraq, where a brutal fight to rid Mosul of its militants left the city in ruins. Militants have long been active in mountainous eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria, where a bloody civil war has raged since 2011. Meanwhile, the Syrian army and the Lebanese Shia Islamist group, Hezbollah, announced their own offensive against IS, though Lebanon said that the two operations were not connected

by sputniknews.com – The Lebanese Army has launched the ‘Fajr al-Joroud’ (Dawn of the Outskirts) offensive to drive Daesh militants out of the Lebanese-Syrian border region. Brigadier General Ali Qansuh, during a press conference on August 19, announced the start of this large counterterrorist operation. According to the general, the main purpose of the offensive is to return all Lebanese lands under the control of the government right up to the borders with Syria. It was especially noted that coordination between the Hezbollah movement and the Syrian Army is not envisaged, and there are also no plans to conduct any negotiations with Daesh militants. The army leadership also expressed hope to liberate captured soldiers of the Lebanese Army as soon as possible. According to the general, in Lebanon there are about 600 militants, which are divided into three groups with some located in the north of the Raas al Baalbek and al Qaa mountains. These terrorists are armed with anti-aircraft weapons, sniper rifles and they often move from place to place on motorcycles. Daesh militants hide in the caves and crevices of the mountains, so the Lebanese Army must battle its enemy great skill and maneuvering. A deputy of the Lebanese Parliament, a member of the “Islah wa tagiir” block, Amal Abu Zeid, told Sputnik that this operation is noteworthy for several reasons. “Firstly, this political decision was made in the presence of the Lebanese President and the head of the Supreme Defense Council, without objections from the government, and secondly, this is exclusively a Lebanese solution without any outside influence,” Zeid said. He further added that keeping in mind these factors it is clear that this operation is carried out exclusively in the interests of the Lebanese people. Lebanon announced the start of the offensive against the Daesh enclave on the northeast part of its border with Syria on Saturday. Damascus and the Lebanese militia movement Hezbollah are also currently carrying out their anti-Daesh offensive on the Syrian side of the border. The Lebanese Army eliminated 12 Daesh strongholds on the Lebanese-Syrian border during the second day of its anti-Daesh offensive, according to a statement of the army’s command obtained by Sputnik on Sunday.