Lebanese army commander announces end of Fajr Jurud operation

BEIRUT - 30 Aug 2017: Commander of the Lebanese army General Joseph Aoun announced on Wednesday the end of Fajr Jurud military operation that was launched earlier this month to oust Daesh militants from the Lebanese lands.

The operation was launched on the outskirts of Ras Baalbek and Al Qaa areas.

“Today, after you have ended the Fajr al Jourud operation, in which you achieved a decisive victory over terrorism by expelling it from the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Al Qaa, … this dear area returns to the fold of the nation,” General Aoun said in a statement addressing Lebanese soldiers.

“This achievement … in the Army’s march … has turned the page on a painful period in our national life,” he said.

The army chief said the operation left seven Lebanese soldiers dead.

The operation was launched by the Lebanese army to drive out Daesh militants and reveal the fate of the eight Lebanese soldiers who were abducted by the militants in 2014.

Shortly after the launch of the offensive, Daesh uncovered the location of the captured servicemen’s’ burial site. The bodies were found on the outskirts of Arsal.