One thing that has always bothered me about the coverage of the war against ISIS, is how little Lebanon’s role in fighting the extremist group has been covered.

The First Army to Beat ISIS in a Battle (2014)

The Lebanese Army is the first ever organized army to beat ISIS in a battle. Our men did what most other armies in the region could not: they beat back ISIS in 2014, from a massive assault in the hinterlands of Aarsal. Our LAF did what the Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish army couldn’t at first. They bounced back two huge ISIS offensives, albeit at a heavy cost, with 9 of our soldiers still in custody of the extremist group more than 3 years later…

As the battle for Mosul wrapped up, and everyone is closing in on Raqqa, Ras Baalbek and El Qaa are another large, significant swath of land still controlled by ISIS in the region. Unfortunately, very little coverage is being allocated to this instrumental battle, and in this humble blog post, I will try to set the scene and explain why this is such a crucial battle, and why our army will win it.

The Situation in Ras Baalbek and El Qaa Right Now, After the Aarsal Battle

The quick and decisive end of the Aarsal battle meant a lot of things for this upcoming one. First, it showed that the militants who have spent years digging in, can be ejected out, and that negotiations for their retreat deeper into Syria is on the table.

Even though most of the glory went to Hezbollah fighters, the LAF’s role was a much tougher, trickier and bigger operation. As Hezbollah fighters assailed the Nusra bases, the LAF was tasked with the difficult duty of guarding Lebanon against a counter-offensive, as well as protecting the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in informal, tented settlements. That’s securing a major Lebanese town, many kilometers of the Lebanese border, as well as tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in two major camps outside the jurisdiction of the UNHCR and other INGOs.

On one hand, this sent a message to extremist militants: that we are coming for you, and that Lebanon is not like Syria and Iraq, and will resist and repel any attempts to breach our borders and sovereignty. However, it was also a wake-up call to ISIS, who after seeing how quickly their fellow extremists were ejected, humiliated and sent packing, are undoubtedly fortifying their positions, in the exponentially large area they currently occupy.

In other words, Hezbollah fighters had the advantage of a semi-surprise attack. Our soldiers do not have that advantage this time around, and given ISIS’s history, a negotiation that would see them leave Lebanese territory is unlikely.

Right now, the LAF has more than 10,000 troops stationed in the Ras Baalbek and El Qaa area, with more reinforcements coming in every day. The towns in the area have installed sirens, that alert residents of incoming missiles or shells, so they can seek shelter quickly. In other words, while you go about your daily lives unbothered by the prospect of a vicious battle, our fellow citizens and soldiers in the Northern and Eastern Bekaa are in full battle mode, getting ready to eradicate what’s left of ISIS on our borders, and the probably cowardly revenge attacks the extremist group will launch in retaliation.

How The Battle Will Be Won

Since 2013, a series of 30 towers and forward operating bases have been erected from Akkar’s Wadi Khaled, all the way down to Aarsal, with more next to Jabal El Sheikh (Mount Hermon) in the South. It was one of these forward operating bases and towers that repelled the second wave in the 2014 Aarsal attack, the one headed towards the Bekaa, with plans to get to Beirut. Another tower and FOB along the Northern border led the shelling from the Syrian side to stop. In short, the LAF tactic of spreading towers and bases along the border, was already having helpful results and proved invaluable in battles with militants from the Syrian side.

This is just an example of the military aid and training that has been provided to the LAF by countries like the UK and the US. In writing this post, I used images and numbers from the British Embassy in Beirut’s twitter account. And chose to give the towers and FOB example to illustrate how the military strategy and readiness of the LAF has been amazing and extremely effective.

We now have very well-guarded northern and eastern borders, extremely well-trained soldiers, immense popular support and an unshakable resolve to defeat and eject every last extremist fighter from Lebanese soil.

What’s So Important About This Battle

This is an historic battle. This battle will be remembered for decades and centuries ahead. This battle is all of Lebanon, with all its factions, sects and agendas, against a common enemy that threatens the way we live and what we live for. This is all of Lebanon, not just factions, coming together for once, in a show of force and solidarity that will make our country safer, and every centimeter of its 10452 square kilometers back under Lebanese control.

If there is one thing I would like to say, it’s that despite being grateful to countries that have helped fund, equip and train our LAF, I feel that Lebanon deserves even more support. The victories the LAF has accomplished against ISIS and other extremist groups, are victories that are getting the entire world closer to defeating ISIS. They’ve kept Lebanon safe, as well as more than a million Syrian refugees, since 2011. The support for the LAF fighting terrorism must continue, and expand. A capable army in Lebanon means a more unified Lebanon, one where single factions never decide the fate of everyone else, but all of Lebanon’s factions decide together.

I will leave you with this photo of the LAF shelling ISIS targets earlier today (August 9, 2017). Good luck to our Lebanese Army, our hearts and minds are with each and every one of you. Get back home safe ❤

Pictures used are from the accounts of the Lebanese Army, The UK Embassy and the US Embassy in Beirut.