Bekaa residents work with army to repel ISIL

In the aftermath of a string of suicide attacks, residents of the northern Bekaa Valley border towns of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek are working alongside Lebanese forces to implement a series of new security measures.

These measures, which include civilian guard duty and patrols, follow eight bombings that rocked al-Qaa on June 27th, leaving five dead and many others wounded.

Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnouq has said the assailants came from al-Raqa, the Syrian stronghold of the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL).

The attacks prompted local residents to take up arms, conduct patrols and perform guard duty across the town to monitor any suspicious activity, with the neighbouring town of Ras Baalbek following suit.

Al-Qaa mayor Bashir Matar told Al-Shorfa that residents have "begun taking a series of measures to protect the town from terrorist acts and prevent a repeat of what happened last week".

These include an increase in the number of guards monitoring the roads, he said.

"We will not allow anyone to encroach on our territory," he said. "To this end, we are keeping a watchful eye on the security of our town and all its neighbourhoods and homes."

"We are co-operating with the official security services," he added. "If we suspect someone, we immediately notify the army, which responds right away."

The new security measures are modest, Matar said, "because we cannot provide protection for every house and every neighbourhood, but they reassure residents that we are vigilant".

"We are counting on the enhanced official security measures being implemented in the region," he added.

Ramped up security in Ras Baalbek

In nearby Ras Baalbek, residents have formed their own protection and guard committees in response to the recent violence in al-Qaa.

New measures were rolled out in the wake of the al-Qaa attacks "and the shock they caused in terms of how the terrorists entered the town and the number of victims killed", said Rifaat Nasrallah, the official in charge of guard duty.

"The way the eight suicide bombers infiltrated the town served as a wake-up to all residents," he said.

The special measures are being implemented in co-ordination with security agencies in order to "fortify our security posture to prevent a repeat of what happened in al-Qaa", he added. "Security is our choice, and today we consider it a red line, as residents feel they are under the threat of danger at any moment."

"We want to stay in our homes and on our land, so we are forced to take up arms, while wishing that we did not have to," he said.

Al-Qaa is of strategic importance

"Al-Qaa’s situation differs from that of any other border area because it lies at the inflamed Syrian border and at the intersection between the warring forces in Syria," journalist Pierre Atallah told Al-Shorfa.

In addition to the fighting between the Syrian regime and moderate opposition factions such as the Free Syrian Army, he said, there also have been battles with and among extremist groups such as ISIL and al-Nusra Front (ANF).

By virtue of the presence of all these parties, he said, al-Qaa has gained strategic importance and requires "several layers of security to achieve stability and tranquility for its residents, especially as it is located only six kilometres from the nearest position of ISIL terrorists".

He stressed the need to strengthen the Lebanese army presence on all fronts, with personnel and weapons.

Advanced monitoring equipment and night vision devices are in particular demand in order to repel ISIL infiltration attempts, he noted, given the vastness of the areas the army monitors.

Atallah said the army has deployed the combat-experienced 8th Brigade and the Land Border Regiment to the area, in addition to artillery support units that possess long-range heavy artillery and heavy rocket launchers.

He also noted the assistance of the Commando Regiment, which he said is "capable of setting up ambushes and conducting night surveillance and raids".

All Bekaa Valley border towns now have an operations room that is connected to a central army command operations room that conducts security co-ordination among all parties under the army’s supervision, he said.