Lebanese army vows to fight against 'takfiris'

Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji vowed Sunday to confront the "takfiri terrorists," or Sunni Muslim militant fighters, and warned all the Lebanese politicians of "schemes that are being plotted against Lebanon."
In a press conference held at the army headquarters in Yarze, Qahwaji said that "gunmen launched an attack against the army on Saturday after troops arrested Ahmed Jomaa ... Ten soldiers were killed and 25 wounded during the clashes."
Tension soared Saturday in the eastern border town of Arsal when masked Syrian gunmen infiltrated Lebanon after the Lebanese army announced the arrest of Imad Ahmed Jomaa, a suspected member of Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian affiliate of Al-Qaida.
Jomaa was arrested while being transferred to a hospital after he sustained injuries during battles on the outskirts of Arsal.
The gunmen surrounded army checkpoints and targeted military posts, while others stormed an Internal Security Forces post in the Bekaa region.
Clashes soon erupted between troops and the militants, resulting in the death of 10 soldiers.
"This attack on the army was premeditated and not accidental. It did not happen because of Jomaa's arrest," Qahwaji stressed. " The armed men are alien to Lebanon and they hail from various countries and are coordinating with individuals embedded inside the camps."
"We had called for addressing the issues of Syrian refugees two years ago. We stress that we are ready to confront all takfiri movements that might come to Arsal ... And there are fears that some parties might seek to export what happened on the Syrian- Iraqi border to the Syrian-Lebanese border."
He also warned Lebanese politicians of the schemes that are being plotted against Lebanon, adding that "It is necessary to address the issues of Syrian refugees so that their places don't turn into terrorist hubs."