ISIL to Declare Emirate in Lebanon – Reports

The Islamic State (IS) militant group is ready to declare declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon soon as part of its geographical extension. The group started preparations to establish a military organizational committee for Lebanese affairs.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Islamic State (IS) militant group is set to declare an Islamic emirate in Lebanon soon as part of its geographical extension, The Daily Star reported, citing security sources.

Arrangements to form an IS command for Lebanon is reportedly taking place under the guidance of a Syrian commander who played a crucial role in the IS offensive against Syria's Raqqa region.

The group has already started preparations to establish a military organizational committee for Lebanese affairs, according to the newspaper.

However, the idea of setting up an Islamic emirate in Lebanon has not received a green light from "powers backing" the Islamic State, security sources said.

The group is allegedly also struggling to choose a Lebanese commander for the operation.

IS militants have in recent weeks been carrying out training exercises in the strategically important Qalamun Mountains near the Lebanese border. The notoriously brutal group has already seized vast territories of Syria and Iraq, and has several foreign branches.

IS already clashed with Lebanon's army in August 2014 near the city of Arsal, on the border Syria.