Sleiman vows to arrest assailants of army personnel

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman pledged on Wednesday to arrest assailants who attacked the army personnel in the eastern Bekaa town of Arsal and killed three soldiers overnight Monday. Unknown assailants opened fire at the checkpoint in the Wadi Hmeid region on the outskirts of the eastern Bekaa border town of Arsal, leaving three soldiers dead. During a surprise visit to Arsal, Suleiman said "the assailants behind these terrorist attacks will be arrested and punished sooner or later." He stressed that the army is the only guarantee for Lebanon's security, saying "the Army Command has the complete support to implement its plans." "Some sides are attempting to exploit the army as a form of political cover and they are trying to fragment the institution to acquire protection for a certain sect within it," he said. "No more martyrs will fall should the army remain inactive, but it will come at the price of the eruption of a civil war in Lebanon. We will continue our duties and we will continue to withstand the blows against us for the sake of our people and nation," he added. As for the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon, Suleiman noted "the latest developments in Syria have affected us, but we have to defend ourselves and our nation. We must protect our country and prevent the neighboring crisis from spreading to us."