Nasrallah declares Second Liberation as last Daesh leave Lebanon

Hezbollah's Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on Monday announced the full liberation of the Lebanese soil from terrorists, as the last Daesh gunmen are leaving northeast Lebanon following the Lebanese army's offensive on the peripheries of al-Qaa and Ras Baalback, and that of the Resistance and the Syrian army in West Qalamoun.

"We have fully liberated the Lebanese soil from terrorists. The borders are now secure and the military threat has ended along the frontiers," Nasrallah said in a televised speech devoted to giving a lowdown on the fresh developments in northeast the country.

In the beginning of his speech, Nasrallah paid condolences on the martyrdom of the Lebanese soldiers who had been kidnapped and killed by Daesh.

"Since the beginning, Daesh had asked for a ceasefire in order to negotiate, something that was out of question for us," the Hezbollah leader told.

"But, as Daesh found itself cornered, it surrendered and collapsed, and couldn't but accept our terms," he said.

"We were conclusive as to the exit of all Daesh terroristsfrom Lebanon, and we told them that our first condition was to uncover the fate of the Lebanese military hostages, in addition to obtaining the remains of Hezbollah fighters and martyrs and hostages of different nationalities, as well as to release bishops Youhanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazeji, and photojournalist Samir Kassab," he added.

"Their answer was that they did not have the bishops and Kassab since they were not the ones who kidnapped them," he continued.

Nasrallah also indicated that during the negotiations, Daesh had asked for the release of a number of prisoners at Roumieh jail, and that the Lebanese side had flatly denied that demand.

As to the calls for prosecuting Daesh terrorists who had left for Syria, Nasrallah said, "We have made a deal to which we must commit; we do not stab in the back and we do not betray," calling for investigating with "those who left the soldiers in the hands of Daesh."

"The Lebanese army was capable of besieging Daesh and liberating the military hostages," he said. "Who prevented the Lebanese army from doing so?" he wondered.

"If you want revenge, go call the judiciary, the government, and the Parliament to investigate the kidnapping and the submissive and cowardly political decision," he corroborated.

"The battle has ended and it achieved all its goals, which are the liberation of the Lebanese lands from Daesh, the liberation of West Qalamoun in Syria, securing the borders, and uncovering the fate of the military hostages," he underlined.

Nasrallah revealed that 18 Hezbollah fighters and 7 Syrian soldiers were killed in the battle on the Syrian side.

"In 2000, we ended the Zionist occupation, and today, we have ended that of the Takfiri terrorists," he stressed.

"Daesh and all the takfiri groups were made by the western intelligence services to serve Israel; and they fought for the sake of the Israeli scheme and the U.S. hegemony," he underlined.

"The 28th of August 2017 is the date of the second liberation, written by the blood of the martyrs of the Lebanese and Syrian armies as well as the Resistance," he emphasized.

Moreover, Nasrallah indicated that the Resistance would celebrate the "Second Liberation" in the city of Baalback on forthcoming Thursday, calling for a huge turnout at the event.

"We are the lords of this land and we shall not leave it. We shall neither travel nor migrate. We live here in dignity; and if any occupier or takfiri threatens our country, we fight them here and we wait for nobody to fight for us," he said.

"We hold only one passport, that is the Lebanese one, and we are the sons of this land. On Thursday, we shall celebrate this victory," he concluded

Source: NNA