ARSAL, Lebanon: In the Baalbek Valley towns of Arsal and Labweh, a cautious calm has prevailed since the Lebanese Army announced a security plan for the area.
At Army checkpoints throughout the northern Bekaa Valley, soldiers vigilantly searched drivers’ IDs and the trunks of cars. Gone was the informal Hezbollah checkpoint on the Arsal-Labweh road, a point of contention between the two towns.
The Army is expected to send troop reinforcements and carry out raids in order to arrest wanted people in the Bekaa Valley this week following the success of a similar initiative in Tripoli.
Tensions have been high between neighboring Labweh and Arsal for months.
Arsal fiercely supports the Syrian uprising, and in recent months, members of the opposition have sought refuge in the badlands surrounding the town.
Residents of nearby Labweh, who are sympathetic to Hezbollah and the Assad regime, claim that Arsal has become a haven for Islamist terrorists retreating from battles in Qalamoun where the rebels have sustained heavy losses. They accuse the fleeing fighters of launching a series of rocket attacks that have shaken their sleepy town in recent weeks, resulting in several casualties.
Many also suspect that Arsal has served as a thoroughfare for cars rigged with explosives.
The planned Army deployment is reassuring to many in the region.
The conciliatory sentiment was particularly marked in Arsal, where a suicide bomber killed three soldiers late last month.
“Arsal is sad for losing her sons, the heroes of the Lebanese Army,” read a freshly printed banner hanging over the town’s main street.
Dr. Bilal, a doctor in the town, said he was impressed that even in the wake of the deadly bombing, the Army had efficiently overseen the transport of wounded Syrian patients across the Lebanese border.
He fully supports the Lebanese Army’s mandate to rid Arsal of illicit material, particularly weapons.
“I think it’s very important for weapons to be taken out of Arsal.”
As of Monday, there was no visible Army presence in the town, though troops may enter as part of efforts to redouble security.
Iyad, an Arsal resident, said that finding soldiers in his town wouldn’t bother him.
“We feel comfortable with the Lebanese Army,” he said, flashing a wide smile.
Mohammad, a Free Syrian Army fighter currently residing in the hills surrounding Arsal, agreed that the Army would “definitely” protect the area from Hezbollah, which enjoys wide support in neighboring towns, including Labweh.
Conversely the mayor of Labweh, Ramez Amhaz, said he believed the Army would defend his town from attacks by those opposed to Asssad.
“We are very reassured by the new security plan,” he told The Daily Star. “After the security plan in Tripoli, it became clear that the Army is strong. Everyone in Labweh supports it.”
Still, he said that he believed the Army could only thwart future rocket attacks against his town if they deployed across the rural fringes of the Bekaa Valley. “There is a fear of rockets, and if the government forces do not take control of the outskirts, that fear will be reinforced.”
“You no longer see any men bearing weapons in Labweh,” he added.
But in Arsal, a handful of war-weary residents expressed concern that the security plan would make Arsal feel like a prison.
Glaring at a small TV screen showing a Syrian league football match, Abu Fareed said he feared the Army would unfairly target Syrians.
“They’ll ask me for my papers and mock me, but I don’t have any papers to show them,” he said.
“I have nothing to confirm that I’m a refugee,” he said, admitting that he fought alongside the opposition in Yabroud.
“I’m preparing to be beaten by the security forces,” he said, eyes darting back to the TV.
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