Lebanon's Hezbollah says battle against IS starts

The Lebanese Shiite militant party Hezbollah said on Wednesday that the battle with the fundamentalist Islamic State (IS) gunmen has started in the Lebanese-Syrian border region.

"The battle against the IS in Qalamoun and the eastern Mountain Range has started," Hezbollah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a television speech.

He also said that the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front has suffered a "major defeat" at the hands of his group's fighters on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal.

"In the past few days, major achievements were made in the Syrian border region of Qalamoun, and I can say that the strategic hills and mountains in that area are now under the control of the Syrian army and the men of the resistance," said Nasrallah.

"As for Arsal's outskirts, huge advances have happened and al-Nusra Front suffered a major defeat," added Nasrallah.

He also noted that since last week, Hezbollah has made a series of military advances in Arsal's outskirts, seizing several strategic posts from al-Nusra's hands.

"We are determined to eradicate the takfiri presence on our border no matter the sacrifices, and we stress that we will no longer accept the presence of takfiris near our villages," Nasrallah stressed.

He also noted that it was the IS that began the battle on Monday by attacking Hezbollah's posts. Endit