Several militants were killed Monday evening as the Lebanese army foiled an infiltration attempt into the Bekaa border town of Arsal, following clashes at noon in the outskirts of the border town of Ras Baalbek.

“The Lebanese army thwarted an infiltration attempt in at Wadi Hmeid's checkpoint in Arsal, killing and wounded several militants,” state-run National News Agency reported.

Earlier in the day, the army targeted gunmen on Ras Baalbek's outskirts as they were trying to infiltrate Lebanon, NNA said.

The agency said that the army detected movements by armed men trying to infiltrate through the outskirts of Ras Baalbek, targeting them with the appropriate artillery weapons.

The sounds of shelling and mortars could be heard in nearby areas, the news agency said.

The Syrian army's jets simultaneously shelled gunmen posts in Syria along the outskirts of Ras Baalbek.

Syrian warplanes continuously target areas along Lebanon's border since the uprising against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad erupted in 2011.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) reported earlier that gunmen targeted army positions in the area, which prompted troops to retaliate.

A rocket also landed between the outskirts of Brital and Hawr Taala, the radio station said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The army frequently clashes with the militants in their hideouts near the Syria border.

The Islamic State, which controls several areas in Syria and Iraq, aims to spread to Lebanon as its fighters position in the outskirts of Bekaa towns bordering Syria and the Lebanese army is in adamant efforts to stop their efforts to infiltrate the country.

H.K./Y.R.