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Lebanese Army anti-IS operation widely applauded -- president

Lebanese President Michel Aoun during a cabinet session
Lebanese President Michel Aoun during a cabinet session
BEIRUT, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Thursday that the army military operations on the eastern borders has drawn wide-scale internal and external support.
The army has demonstrated great efficiency, liberating the largest swath of the territories that were controlled by the "terrorists," the presidency quoted Aoun as saying during a cabinet session.
Only a small spot has remained under control of the gunmen, he said, indicating that the regulars were pressing on to seize it.
For his part, Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri indicated that the army needed more equipment to safeguard the liberated areas and keep the border regions under control.
The Lebanese Army launched on Saturday a wide-scale operation, code-named "fajr al-joroud" (dawn of the barrens) to dislodge militants of the so-called Islamic State from a border area, estimated at 120 sq kms. The army has lost four deaths due to explosives' explosions during the operation.
This was the largest operation involving the army since 2007, when the troops engaged in a bloody battle against militants who sought to establish an emirate at the refugee camp of Nahr Al-Bared in northern Lebanon. More than 100 troops were killed in that fight.
The theater of operations is mostly barren heights and rocky valleys, with caves, some used by the gunmen. (end) wsm.rk