The Lebanese Army Tuesday detained a senior ISIS commander along the country's restive northeastern border. The state-run National News Agency said that Sameh Al-Breidy, a notorious ISIS official, had been arrested in an operation carried out by the military in the town of Arsal. Soldiers also raided positions in nearby areas. Last month the military killed a senior ISIS commander and an accomplice during a raid on the town's restless outskirts. Nayef Shaalan, also known as Abou Fouz, was killed on April 28 during an early morning raid by the army in Wadi al-Hosn. Ahmad Mroueh, a fellow militant, was also killed during the offensive, while Mohammad Mossali was arrested at the scene. Three army soldiers were wounded in the operation. Militants are suspected of orchestrating a number of attacks against the army and police in Arsal. ISIS and the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front forces are entrenched on the outskirts of Arsal. The army frequently shells positions belonging to the two groups. The bombardments occur on a near daily basis and are intended to both keep militants at bay and prevent them from organizing a powerful base of operations from which to launch raids into Lebanon. Militants briefly overran the town of Arsal in August 2014 and both ISIS and Nusra forces captured a number of Lebanese soldiers and policemen. It remains the most serious incident of spillover from the Syrian crisis to date. Nusra militants held 16 service personnel until earlier this year when all but two, who had been executed in captivity, were released. ISIS is still holding nine soldiers captive and while their fate remains unknown, reports indicate they are still alive.
