Alwaght- Since the start of Hezbollah and the Syrian army's operations for clearing the Qalamoun region, the border town of Arsal has been considered by Lebanese resistance leaders more than before. This town that is located in eastern Lebanon and its population is predominantly Sunni Muslim has played an important role in supplying arms and other support to the terrorists in this country.
After liberating the strategic Syrian city of Qasir, some of the terrorists managed to escape to Arsal and establish bases of power around this city. They sometimes targeted the Lebanese army troops and local residents and even kidnapped some militants of this country.
Nevertheless, neither Lebanese army nor Hezbollah took serious action against them due to concern over sectarian conflicts.
But with the imminent victory of Lebanon’s resistance movement, Arsal has become one of the main places for the runaway terrorists and this has provoked Hezbollah's concern because the continued presence of these groups can prevent the full realization of security in Lebanon.
Hezbollah is determined to eradicate terrorism in Lebanon but with regard to predominantly Sunni population of Arsal, there is a concern that Hezbollah's attack on terrorists’ positions in this city provides an opportunity for the enemies to fuel the sectarian conflicts.
It seems that Hezbollah officials have considered three approaches to prevent sectarian strife and root out terrorism in Arsal. In the first phase, Hezbollah stresses that it has no intention to come into conflict with the Sunnis and is only going to fight terrorism.
For this reason, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in his recent speech warned against any attempt to show the gunmen in the region of Qalamoun as revolutionary forces. He emphasized that the international community, the judiciary and even Saudi Arabia have announced that ISIS and al-Nusra are terrorist organizations, therefore, Hezbollah fights against terrorists not Sunnis and no one can accuse them of sectarianism.
In the second phase, Hezbollah stresses that the Lebanese army should fulfill its duties and enter into war on terrorists’ in Arsal. Sayyed Nasrallah in his speech on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the liberation of southern Lebanon stated, “About Arsal you said that it's the government's responsibility, we don't say anything except it. The interior minister says that this village has been occupied and the government should liberate it because it is a Lebanese village. Investigate it carefully, don't escape this responsibility and prove that you are a government."
Urging the government to take action to solve this crisis indicates that Hezbollah is not inclined to be involved in this crisis.
But the question that arises here is whether the Lebanese army has the ability to solve this crisis.
In general, it seems that Hezbollah has given people of Baalbek the responsibility to solve this crisis. In his speech on Sunday, Nasrallah addressing the people of Arsal said, "We are ready to help you. The government has to shoulder its responsibility. If the government shrinks from its responsibility to solve this issue, the people of Beqaa will not allow even one terrorist to stay in their region."
