Lebanon launches operation to drive out ISIS from two Christian villages

Lebanon has announced the launch of an operation to drive out the Islamic State terror group from two Christian villages and other areas near the Syrian border.

On Saturday, Lebanese commander Joseph Aoun announced that its army has begun a fresh offensive targeting extremists in the settlements of Ras Baalbek and Qaa.

"Army Chief: In the name of Lebanon, in the name of the kidnapped soldiers, in the name of the martyrs' blood, and in the name of the great Lebanese Army... I announce the launching of the 'Fajr Al Jurud' operation," the Lebanese commander wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning, according to Lebanese news website The961.

President Michel Aoun, who is of no relation to the Lebanese commander, went to the Ministry of Defense on Saturday to monitor the situation.

A military spokesman said that around 30 square kilometers (11 miles square) of territory has already been captured on the first day of the operation. "That is around a third of the area controlled by the terrorists," Brigadier General Nazih Jreij said, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

Jreij said that 10 Lebanese soldiers have been wounded in the clashes, while 20 ISIS fighters had been killed.

An estimated 600 ISIS fighters are believed to be present in the areas of Ras Baalbek and Qaa prior to the launch of the offensive.

The operation came after the jihadists claimed several international attacks, including twin car ramming incidents in Spain that resulted in the deaths of 14 people.

A Spanish flag was raised by Lebanese soldiers on a hilltop captured from ISIS on Saturday in a tribute to the victims of the attacks, the army stated.

Meanwhile, a similar campaign has been carried out by the Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah group with the aim of expelling ISIS From the Qalamoun mountains on the Syrian side of the border.

Hezbollah's War Media announced on Saturday that its fighters and the Syrian army had "managed to liberate 87 square kilometers of the total area controlled by the Daesh (IS) organization... in western Qalamun region" of Syria.

Although the two country's state military forces are cooperating, the Lebanese authorities have denied that they are coordinating with the government of Syria's President Bashar Assad. The Lebanese army also denied any coordination with Hezbollah.

Lebanese politicians have stated that 115 square miles of land between the two countries are currently under ISIS control. About half of the territory controlled by the militant group lies on the Lebanese side of the border. The area reportedly includes the Lebanese town of Arsal, where the jihadists kidnapped 30 soldiers and police in 2014.