BAALBAK: The Lebanese Army pounded militant hideouts in the outskirts of Arsal overnight in some of the heaviest shelling of the area yet, security sources said Tuesday, suggesting that the increased tempo of the offensive might signal the beginning of a large-scale operation.
Heavy and long-range guns were used in the overnight shelling, which continued unabated until the early morning hours Tuesday, the sources told The Daily Star.
The intense pounding indicates that the Army might be paving the ground for a large-scale operation to tighten control on Arsal and its environs and uproot the militant fighters from their hideouts in the town’s outskirts, the sources said.