At least six Lebanese soldiers have been killed in clashes with foreign-backed insurgents fighting against the Syrian government in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria.
The fighting broke out in the town of Arsal in Bekka Valley on Friday after a Lebanese army unit entered the area to arrest a member of an extremist group known as the Al-Nusra Front.
According to a security official, several other soldiers were also wounded in the fighting. The wanted gunman is also reported to have been killed in the clashes.
Al-Nusra, which is fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been accused of smuggling weapons into Syria from Lebanon. The group is also said to be involved in many atrocities committed in Syria.
The group has been blacklisted as a terrorist group by many countries including the US.
On Wednesday, the Syrian government said the group had killed at least 80 civilians in the northern city of Aleppo.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the turmoil.
The Syrian government has repeatedly said that the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and that a very large number of the militants operating in the country are foreign nationals.
A recent UN report has revealed that mercenaries from 29 countries have infiltrated into Syria to fight against the Damascus government.
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