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Syrian War Spillover Threatens Lebanese Territory

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Sunni Jihadist groups in Syria are waging war against Shiites and the national army in Lebanon, signaling that the three year-old Syrian civil war is now spreading across the Lebanese border.

The al-Nusra Front (an offshoot of al Qaeda) and the Islamic State (formerly ISIS) battled Lebanese forces last weekend near the town of Arsal.

At least 10 Lebanese soldiers were reported killed. Dozens of Sunni rebels died as well.

The Islamic State, which has carried out a bloody and aggressive takeover of large sections of territory in Iraq and Syria, now hopes to duplicate its success in Lebanon, which has roughly a 40 percent Christian, 27 percent Sunni and 27 Shia population. 

Islamic State's bloodbath forced thousands of Iraqi Christians to flee their homes.

Divisions run deep between the various factions in Lebanon, but the threat from the Syrian rebels serves as a uniting force for the army, which is also getting support from the Iranian-backed Shiite Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

The Hezbollah-affiliated television station al-Manar reports that an Islamic State commander responsible for rigging vehicles with explosives was killed in the fighting near Arsal, where thousands of refugees from the Syrian war have been living.

The Syrian war has spread to Lebanon before, but the rebel groups penetrated deeper inside the country in the past week than they have in previous clashes, raising concerns that more Lebanese territory may be in danger.

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About The Author

John
Waage

John Waage has covered politics and analyzed elections for CBN New since 1980, including primaries, conventions, and general elections. He also analyzes the convulsive politics of the Middle East.