BEIRUT: Three Lebanese soldiers were killed on Sunday when a mine exploded under their vehicle in the east of the country along the border with Syria, the army said in a statement.

The soldiers were en route to participate in an operation that began on Saturday to oust the militant Islamic State group from an area further north on the border, an army source said.

“An army vehicle was hit by a landmine on the Al-Najsa road roundabout in Jurud Arsal at noon today, killing three soldiers and injuring one soldier seriously,” the army said in a statement.

It said the wounded soldier was evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

The incident comes a day after the army began an operation against IS in the Jurud Ras Baalbek and Jurud al-Qaa areas, further north along the Lebanon-Syria border.

The army said late on Saturday its forces have so far captured around 30 square kilometres of the 120 square kilometres IS is believed to hold in the area.

A spokesman said that 20 IS fighters had been killed in the clashes so far, and 10 Lebanese soldiers had been wounded.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2017