Syrian warplanes attack IS near Lebanon border

BEIRUT – Syrian warplanes have bombarded mountainous areas controlled by the Islamic State group near the border with Lebanon.

The extremists control a stretch of land on both side of the border and a major military operation is expected soon to remove them.

The shelling on the Syrian side came as a Lebanese military official said Wednesday that Lebanese troops attacked IS positions on the other side of the border, tightening the siege on them.

The Lebanese official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Syrian state TV says troops captured a strategic hill overlooking wide areas controlled by IS.

The Lebanese army has been preparing for an all-out attack on IS positions along the Syrian border for weeks, massing reinforcements and pounding the area with artillery shells and rockets.