IS Militants Murder ISF Intelligence Agent in Arsal

A member of the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch was assassinated Friday in the restive northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Syrian militants belonging a terrorist group shot dead ISF First Adjutant Zaher Ezzeddine outside his house in the Arsal area of al-Babain,” NNA said.

Ezzeddine was in his car when the gunmen opened fire, the agency noted.

LBCI television said the security agent was shot dead in front of his family.

MTV meanwhile said the militants likely belong to the extremist Islamic State group.

Lebanese security officials told The Associated Press that the attack was carried out by masked gunmen and that Ezzeddine's wife was wounded and rushed to hospital.

The couple's daughter was unharmed.

The sources said the motive for the shooting was not immediately clear.

Militants from the IS and the Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front are entrenched in mountainous regions along the porous Lebanese-Syrian border.

The Lebanese army regularly shells their positions and Hizbullah fighters have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border.

Y.R.