After three days of clashes with Islamist militants around Arsal, the army said 14 soldiers were killed, 86 wounded, and 22 are missing; at least 50 civilians and some 50 militants are also said to have been killed. The government vowed to protect Arsal, demanding the militants’ withdrawal and refusing to cut a deal. A delegation from the Muslim Scholars Committee arrived in Arsal to negotiate a ceasefire; the government wants the release of 22 soldiers and 21 policemen kidnapped by the militants, and the Islamists seek the release of their recently arrested leader Imad Ahmad Jomaa, who commands brigades affiliated with the Al Nusrah Front and the Islamic State. Security forces deployed heavily across the country.
