Hezbollah Drone Strike Kills Three al-Qaeda on Lebanon-Syria Border

In a move showing the Shi’ite militia faction’s growing capabilities, Hezbollah has released a video showing it carrying out a drone strike against fighters of al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front, killing three.

The strike took place along the border between the Lebanese town of Arsal and Syria’s Nahleh, with Hezbollah saying they believe the al-Qaeda forces were aiming for another attack on Arsal.

Arsal has been a common target for al-Qaeda and ISIS, and has forced Lebanon’s military to increase its presence in the area, trying to keep the border from falling into de facto Syrian rebel territory.

Nusra has been gaining territory in recent weeks, holding most of the Idlib Province and advancing against Syria’s Latakia coast. They have also pushed into the Qalamoun Mountains along the Lebanon border, suggesting they are a growing threat to Lebanese territory, and by extension Hezbollah.