The battle for the rugged outskirts stretching from Syria's Qalamoun region to the Lebanese northeastern town of Arsal, including mountains overlooking the main international highway linking Lebanon to Syria, is inevitable, a high-ranking military source told The Daily Star.



According to the source, several Lebanese and Syria factors led to the acceleration of what is known as the "snow-melting" battle in the rugged areas along the Lebanese-Syria borders.



Lebanese officials are well aware that the battles fought by military and security forces against terrorist groups in the rugged areas overlooking Arsal and Ras Baalbek, and stretching along the range of eastern mountains and the northern Bekaa area, to prevent them from making a breakthrough in this region, have given extremist organizations a chance to attempt to cross from Syria into Lebanon through the northern Lebanese territory spanning from Nahr al-Kabir to Akkar and its outskirts, up to Halba and its surroundings.

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