US-Led Coalition Denies Strikes on Daesh Convoy on Syria-Lebanon Border

The US-led coalition refuted the information that it had targeted a convoy with Daesh terrorists on the Syrian-Lebanon border. Daesh's evacuation from the area is part of its temporary truce deal with the Hezbollah movement that had been conducting a major anti-terrorist operation in the region.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-led coalition did not strike a Daesh terrorist group convoy fleeing Lebanon but did strike the road upon which they were traveling along with individual vehicles and fighters, Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release.

"The Coalition has not struck the convoy. In accordance with the law of armed conflict, the Coalition cratered the road heading east between Hamaymah and Abul Kamal to prevent the further transport of ISIS [Daesh] fighters to the border area of our Iraqi partners and struck individual vehicles and fighters that were clearly identified as ISIS," the release said.

The coalition said it is not aparty to any agreement between Lebanon's Hezbollah, Damascus and Daesh.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army and Hezbollah declared a ceasefire to hold negotiations with Daesh terrorists. The terrorists agreed to return the remains of eight Lebanese soldiers abducted in 2014, as well as the bodies of Shiite militia fighters. In return, the Syrian side agreed to allow the evacuation of Daesh terrorists to Abu-Kamal city in the country's northeastern Deir ez-Zor province. Both the Lebanese military and Hezbollah said they believe that Daesh's evacuation indicated their surrender.

Hezbollah, along with the Syrian army, has been conducting operations against Daesh on the Syrian side of the border. The operation resulted in significant advance of Lebanese and Syrian troops in the region and severe losses of Daesh.

On Sunday, the Syrian army and Hezbollah Shiite fighters announced that they had completely freed the Syrian mountainous region of western Qalamoun on the border with Lebanon from Daesh.