Saudi Arabia has provided Lebanon´s army, battling jihadists on the Syrian border, with one billion dollars to strengthen security, former Lebanese premier Saad Hariri told reporters in Jeddah earlier today.
King Abdullah “has informed me of his generous decision to provide the Lebanese army… with one billion dollars to strengthen its capabilities to preserve Lebanon´s security,” Hariri told reporters in Jeddah.
Speaking from King Abdullah´s palace in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, Lebanon´s Sunni community´s most prominent political representative added that “we have received this aid.”
“This aid is very important especially at this time when Lebanon is fighting terrorism,” said Hariri at the overnight conference.
Lebanese troops have been clashing with militants since Saturday in the country´s eastern town of Arsal. Sunni-dominated regional heavyweight
The fighting in Arsal is the worst violence to hit the volatile border region since the 2011 outbreak of the armed uprising in Syria against President Bashar al-Assad and has left 16 soldiers dead and 85 wounded, while dozens of jihadists are said to have been killed, along with three civilians.
