Lebanese army, Hezbollah announce offensives against Islamic State on Syrian border

General Ali Kanso talks during a news conference at the Ministry of Defense in Yarze Village, east of Beirut, Lebanon August 19, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese army launched an offensive on Saturday against an Islamic State enclave on the northeastern border with Syria, as the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah announced an assault on the militants from the Syrian side of the frontier.

The Lebanese army operation got underway at 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), targeting Islamic State positions near the town of Ras Baalbek with rockets, artillery and helicopters, a Lebanese security source said. The area is the last part of the Lebanese-Syrian frontier under insurgent control.