国际英语新闻:Hezbollah clashes with fundamentalist gunmen in east Lebanon

BEIRUT, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Violent clashes erupted Sunday when fundamentalist gunmen from Syria launched an attack on a Hezbollah post in the outskirts of the Bekaa town of Brital near the Lebanese-Syrian borders, a security source told Xinhua.

According to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity, the gunmen infiltrated the borders coming from the Qalamoun region in Syria and clashed with Hezbollah on the outskirts of Brital which resulted in the killing of at least 16 gunmen and two Hezbollah fighters.

Hezbollah brought additional reinforcements and managed to repel the attack, while the Lebanese army announced an alert in its positions in Brital after the zone of clashes expanded to Younine in the outskirts of Baalbak, the source said.

It said that the clashes that continued for few hours resulted in the killing of Mohammad Khaled Hamze known as "Abu Soheib," who is a leader in the al-Nusra Front and his body was transported to the "Al Rahma" field hospital in Arsal.

A number of fundamentalist gunmen is deployed in the Qalamoun region on the outskirts of the Lebanese Syrian borders and uses illegal crossing points between the two countries for their logistical needs.

The Lebanese army clashed on Aug. 2 with militants from al- Nusra Front and the Islamic State (IS) for five consecutive days.

The fundamentalists withdrew to Syria after abducting at least 35 soldiers and Internal Security forces members.

Al-Nusra Front executed one of the abductees while the IS beheaded two others and both groups are demanding the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from Syria and the release of Islamic militants held in Lebanese jails in return for the release of the soldiers.