A new group, the “Al-Izz Islamic Brigades”, claimed on Sunday responsibility for an operation along the Lebanese-Israeli border that left five Israeli soldiers wounded. Three members of the group were also killed.
In a statement, it said its “fighters breached the border fence in the occupied Shebaa Farms” and engaged an Israeli patrol near the Rweisat al-Alam area, “making direct hits.”
It announced that three of its members were killed in the fighting, while the remaining two were unhurt.
The group said an Israeli drone attack in the same area left three of its members dead on Friday.
It explained the fighters had been on a surveillance mission in the area.
Moreover, Al-Izz Islamic Brigades revealed that Sunday’s attack was in retaliation to the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri, Samir Fandy and others in an Israeli attack in Beirut earlier this month.
Arouri was the deputy political leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement.
The group added that Sunday’s attack was a “message to the Zionist enemy to cease its criminal war against Palestine and Lebanon before it engulfs the region and entire world.”
No one has heard of the Al-Izz Islamic Brigades in Lebanon. It is unknown if it is a Lebanese or Palestinian group.
Lebanese security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that nothing is known about the group.
The three fighters that were allegedly killed were never transferred to any hospital in Lebanon. It isn’t even known if they were retrieved from where they were killed, they added.
Sources close to Hamas denied any affiliated to the Brigades, telling Asharq Al-Awsat “it is proud of its martyrs and doesn’t conceal them.”
Local sources in Shebaa told Asharq Al-Awsat that they had never head of the Brigades before and “nothing is known about its activities.”
Speculation rose that the group may be affiliated to the “Islamic Jihad”, but its sourced denied the claims.
