Terrorists Kill 2 Members of Lebanese Security Forces

Members of Lebanese security forces block a road to stop protesters from reaching the UNESCO Palace where Lebanon's parliament is holding a session, in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut's port area, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

BEIRUT—Two members of the Lebanese Security Forces were killed in an exchange of gunfire with terrorists in the north of the country late on Saturday, the army said.

They were killed when the terrorists opened fire on an army checkpoint in the northwest area of Araman, the army said in a statement. One terrorist was killed, while several fled.

In a separate incident, Lebanese security forces killed at least six terrorists during a heavy exchange of fire with an armed group in northeast Lebanon, close to the Syrian border, security sources said.

Three members of the Lebanese security forces were wounded in the clash, which began after Lebanese forces raided a house in the Wadi Khaled area, where the group that was suspected of planning attacks was holed up, the sources said.

The group included Syrians and Lebanese, the sources said, adding that the scale of the clash, in which the terrorists fired rocket-propelled grenades, prompted the Lebanese army to cordon off the area.

The sources said the group included people linked to the Islamist terrorist, Khaled al-Talawi, who was killed this month in a shootout with security forces. Four Lebanese soldiers were killed in that clash.

Talawi was described as a former member of ISIS and leader of a cell behind the killing in August of three people in north Lebanon.