The fatal injury suffered by ISIS’ emir in Qalamoun, Abu Hassan al-Filastini, tipped the balance and the situation in Ersal became unstable. ISIS fighters plundered the town in retaliation for his death and captured several prisoners from the Lebanese military. They took control of the area, assisted by the followers of Imad Jumaa (a Syrian) and a third faction that arrived recently. However, al-Nusra Front remains the strongest of the groups on the ground.
Sources close to al-Nusra Front informed Al-Akhbar that it had entered the town to protect its residents from retaliation by insurgents. However, they clashed with the army and threatened to expand the scope of the confrontation and use car bombs, unless it stops its operations carried out "with Hezbollah's assistance."
According to several Syrian refugees, the bodies of civilians – some killed by ISIS fighters and others by the shelling – are scattered in the streets of the conflict ravaged town in the northern Bekaa.
Al-Akhbar obtained information that the fighters ordered civilians not to leave Ersal. Those who tried to escape or had been suspected of informing the army of the group's positions were taken from their homes and summarily executed. The fighters also took over the mosque of Sheikh Mustafa Houjeiri (Abu Taqiyeh) and al-Rahma Hospital, which he runs, and evicted him and his family out of their home.
"Ersal is being butchered," said Sheikh Abu Taqiyeh – in a phone call with Al-Akhbar, and started crying. "Ersal is a hostage and my heart aches."
He then addressed Hezbollah's secretary general saying, "Sayyed Hassan [Nasrallah], Ersal is a hostage."
"Please pass my words to Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Tell him that the bodies of civilians fill the streets. Tell him that the people of Ersal are helpless and defenseless. The weapons of the Resistance, which were supposed to liberate Palestine, are now directed to our chests. He is fighting in Syria and Iraq. Why are you doing this Sayyed Hassan?"
"You can quote me as saying these words, even if might cost me my neck," he added.
Houjeiri described how he was humiliated and threatened while trying to prevent the imminent execution of the Internal Security Forces captives being taken to the mountains by the gunmen. However, he maintained that he could no longer protect them. "The issue is in the hands of the powers that be."
But who are they? Don't they fight with al-Nusra?
"Al-Nusra entered Ersal to protect its people, but was confronted by the army" he replied. "Ersal is occupied by the [Islamic] State and the followers of Abu Mohammed Jumaa, who are besieging the town and no one can confront them."
The "fate" of the captured soldiers and policemen "is in the hands of IS and everyone knows what is the Islamic State."
He maintained that no one in Ersal can do anything about it. "The army was implicated in the battle. But [Hezbollah] does not want the fighting to stop and is breaking the truce by shelling Ersal's residents."
In related news, Al-Akhbar obtained information that several armed factions were able to capture army soldiers. Some of those were taken hostage during the attacks on the army barracks. Others surrendered after becoming surrounded or falling into an ambush.
Abu Hassan al-Filastini killed
Sources from the field maintained that the ISIS’ emir in al-Qalamoun, known as Abu Hassan al-Filastini, was killed on Monday in clashes with the Syrian army in Khirbet Daoud in Ersal's mountainside. Sources in the Islamic State told Al-Akhbar that Abu Hassan fell into a coma after being hit directly at the onset of the clashes on Sunday. He was injured by a shell fired by the Lebanese army, after the State's gunmen took control of positions in Wadi Hamid. Lebanese military sources confirmed the information, but maintained that Abu Hassan was killed instantly.
Follow Radwan Mortada on Twitter | @radwanmortada
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
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