copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-08-02): Arsal is located in the North-Eastern of Lebanon, sharing a 50km stretch of border with Syria and sheltered by mountain terrain that surrounds the region. While the town may be labelled as insignificant in its size and infrastructure, in recent years, Arsal has become associated with Lebanon-Syria politics and as a geostrategic stronghold for Syrian militants. Arguably, what entrenched this status shift for Arsal was a five day siege conducted by Syrian militant groups in 2014 which is often referred to as "the Battle of Arsal". The siege resulted in mass casualties and a hostage crisis, ultimately initiating long term engagement between Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Syrian militant factions such as the Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra Front (known today as Jabhat el-Sham) in Arsal and particularly in its mountainous outskirts.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-12-01): Lebanon is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which requires it to take steps to achieve "the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health."[75] This includes the right to a healthy environment.[76] Under the Covenant, Lebanon also has an obligation to recognize "the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living ... and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."[77] [...] Lebanon is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which requires it to take steps to achieve "the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health."[206] This includes the right to a healthy environment.[207] Under the Covenant, Lebanon also has an obligation to recognize "the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living ... and to the continuous improvement of living conditions."[208]
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-01-01): Aarsal is a region located in the north of the Bekaa valley on the Syrian border. Distanced 122 km from Beirut and 12km from the Syrian border, the town of Aarsal offers great insight to the functioning and spatial produc- tion of an extraterritory not only because it house a sizeable population of ‘displaced’ individuals (Syrian refugees), but also because it is home to ‘citizens’ of an extraterritory, Aarsal. To many visitors, Aarsal, located on the border between two countries is seemingly more a part of Syria than it is of Lebanon, due to facts such as the selling of a big number of syrian products in the area. [...] The fact that it is said that there are parts of the town inaccessible to the Lebanese Army or that the Syrian Army has freely searched houses in Aarsal are factors that question Aarsal’s belonging to Lebanon.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-12-07): Despite public assurances that it would do so, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has not released a public report on its June 2017 antiterrorism operation in the vicinity of Aarsal. During the operation, the LAF–in search of suspected ISIS and Fatah al-Sham terrorists who had seized the area in 2014–detained more than 350 Syrian men after five terrorists detonated suicide bombs, killing a young girl and wounding seven soldiers. Four of the detainees died in custody. The LAF concluded its investigation in July 2017, and LAF leadership publically conceded the detainees experienced "some mistreatment," but the LAF maintained they died of natural causes. Family members of three of the men released photographs of their bodies returned by the LAF, which they alleged showed signs of torture.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2013-10-11): On 01 July 15, the Lebanese Army arrested at a checkpoint in Aarsal a citizen for trying to smuggle a Syrian into the Lebanese territories. Later the Syrian man admitted to belonging to a terrorist organization. [...] Media allegedly reported that after the Lebanese army succeeded in thwarting six gunmen from entering Lebanon through the northeastern border town of Aarsal, killing two, while the rest escaped Hizbullah stopped an armed group from infiltrating Lebanese territories from an area between al-Alali and al-Abyad mountains in the eastern mountain range. The army frequently shells the positions of gunmen situated on the porous Lebanese-Syrian border, halting their advancement towards Lebanese territory. http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/183229-report-army-tightening-noose-o... [...] On 12 June 15, a member of the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front group was arrested in the northeastern border town of Aarsal for having links to various bombings that have taken place in Lebanon in recent months. Ahmed al-Atrash, also known as Nisr Arsal, was arrested by the army intelligence. He is accused of transporting explosives-rigged cars that were used in bombings in Beirut's southern suburbs of Dahieh and the Bekaa area of al-Hermel, both Hizbullah targets. He is also accused of being involved in fighting against the army.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2013-04-10): LBCI television elaborated: "Syrian helicopters bombed the areas of Wadi Hmeid and al-Ajram near Arsal inside Lebanese territory." [...] The region of Arsal has been said to be used for the smuggling of arms and the flow of fighters across the border. Arsal is a majority Sunni town, many of whose residents support the revolt against President Bashar Assad in neighboring Syria.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-07-31): While the LAF has done much to distance itself from the actions of Hezbollah along the Lebanese-Syrian frontier, LAF inaction against ISIS is not an option. Should the LAF fail to act against ISIS, it would be accused of kowtowing to Hezbollah. Conversely, were it to commit to confronting the militants, it risks accusations of collusion with the Shi’a militant group at the expense of the fears and concerns of Lebanon’s Sunni community. Through it all, the LAF will have to deconflict with Hezbollah at the level of LAF command, manage its own internal divisions, and maintain unity of command in the Arsal theater. This means working to interdict if not avoid past situations where LAF active and retired personnel were accused of trying to liaise between the LAF and Hezbollah on the ground without authorization from LAF headquarters. [...] - Hezbollah must cease all military operations and withdraw from the Arsal AOR. The LAF cannot afford even a lingering impression that it and the Shi’a militant group are working together to defeat ISIS. It also cannot conduct operations so long as Hezbollah continues to hold ground formerly held by JAN. The Government of Lebanon – of which Hezbollah is part – led by the President and the Prime Minister will have to buttress the LAF to ensure that deconfliction is preserved.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-09-06): In late July, Hezbollah began operations around Arsal. Within days, Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah had retaken most of the territory held by HTS. On July 27, a cease-fire was announced between Hezbollah and HTS fighters, brokered by Lebanon's Chief of General Security.39 As part of the agreement, HTS fighters agreed to relocate with their families to Syria's Idlib province. Nasrallah stated that "we will be ready to hand all the recaptured Lebanese lands and positions over to the Lebanese Army if the army command requests this and is ready to take responsibility for them."40 Prime Minister Hariri has said that the LAF did not participate in Hezbollah's operations around Arsal.41 However, in a public address, Nasrallah stated that the LAF secured the area to the west of Arsal to ensure that HTS militants along the border did not escape into Lebanon.42 Nasrallah has characterized the LAF as a "partner" and a "pillar" in what Hezbollah has described as the "golden formula, which means the resistance, the Army, and the people."43 Praising the role of the LAF in the July Arsal operation, Nasrallah stated, "What the Lebanese Army did around Aarsal, on the outskirts of Aarsal, and along the contact line within the Lebanese territories was essential for scoring this victory."44 It is unclear whether Nasrallah's praise of the LAF is intended in part to complicate the LAF's relationship with international partners, including the United States.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-08): MAG’s demining teams began survey and clearance of the land in Jroud Ras Baalback and Jroud Arsal, in thenorth east of the country, in 2018 following the defeat of ISIS after three years of bitter fighting between ISIS and the Lebanese Armed Forces. [...] General Aoun told the gathering: "Today, after six years, we would like to announce that the outskirts of Aarsal area and Ras Baalback are fully liberated and now completely free of remnants of war. The liberation on both fronts clearly shows our commitments towards our people in these areas and we ask them to return to, invest in and exploit their safe lands. "And here we would like to reconfirm our commitment to clear the remaining Lebanese territories from anything that prevents the people’s access to them."
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-10): On 17 September, Syrian Ground-attack aircraft fired three missiles 500 metres (1,600 ft) over the border into Lebanese territory near Arsal. It was suggested that the jets were chasing rebels in the vicinity. The attack prompted Lebanese president Michel Sleiman to launch an investigation, whilst not publicly blaming Syria for the incident.[17] [...] See also [edit]References [edit]- ^ "FSA 'Arsal Commander' Shot Dead in Town's Square". Naharnet. 14 August 2015. [...] - ^ "Arsal ambush kills two Lebanese soldiers hunting wanted fugitive". Dailystar.com.lb. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-08-21): The army has so far captured two-thirds of the Lebanese territory that was held by ISIS, Lebanese military spokesman Col. Fadi Boueid said, noting that on Sunday alone, troops captured 30 square kilometres.
Claim: Aarsal is a territory of Lebanon (Aarsal, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-02-01): ARSAL, Lebanon, May 23 (UNHCR) - It's test day at the Arsal Public Second Shift Middle School and the students in the 8th Grade maths class are engrossed in their exam. They factor numbers, write a series of equations in the form of a single power - all in French, a language they have come to learn only since starting school here in north-east Lebanon two months ago. [...] Arsal was once a sleepy town nestled in the hills a few kilometres from the Syrian border. When war broke out in Syria two years ago, the town bulged as civilians, most of them women and children, fled to Lebanon. Soon Arsal grew by 10,000 people - roughly half were children. [...] "We see the approach that Arsal has taken as a model for the rest of the country," says Linda Kjosaas, a UNHCR education expert in Lebanon. "With an increasing influx, the number of children in school-age at the end of 2013 will exceed the current number of children enrolled in state schools, and in some places even a second shift will not solve the space problem. The impact of the conflict is staggering, but despite what these children have had to endure in the past, they need to be given a real chance to further their education and not become a lost generation."
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-01-24): Deir El Aachayer (Arabic: ديرالعشاير) is a village north of Rashaya, in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.[1] [...] Deir El Aachayer has a number of local springs, including Ain Halalweh, Ain Shayeb, Ain Rouk, Ain Dibb. The village was once known by the name Deir Mar Sema’an, owing to the Monastery of Saint Simon, known locally as Al Borj, said to have been built by the Romans for preaching, religious ceremonies and practices by disciples of Saint Simon the Baptist. The monastery having been a stronghold for the students, enabling them to expand their teaching in Syria.[4] [...] References [edit]- ^ Geographic.org - Entry about Deir El Aachayer from data supplied by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Bethesda, MD, USA a member of the Intelligence community of the United States of America - ^ British Druze Society - Druze communities in the Middle East Archived September 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine - ^ "Localiban Entry about Deir El Aachayer". Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Deir ez-Zor (Arabic: دَيْرُ ٱلزَّوْرِ / دَيْرُ ٱلزُّور, romanized: Dayru z-Zawr / Dayru z-Zūr; Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ, romanized: Dayrāʾ Zəʿōrtāʾ) is the largest city in eastern Syria and the seventh largest in the country. Located on the banks of the Euphrates River 450 km (280 mi) to the northeast of the capital Damascus, Deir ez-Zor is the capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate.[4] In the 2018 census, it had a population of 271,800. [...] In the third century BC, Alexander the Great crossed the region and built the city of Dura-Europos. Although influenced by Greek culture, the Aramaic language remained prevalent in the city. When Syria came under the Roman Empire in 64 BC, Deir Ez-Zor was a small, marginal village known as Azdra, which the Romans made the center of the region and founded a strong military garrison. Deir Ez-Zor came under the reign of Queen Zenobia of Palmyra in the third century, within an autonomous federation of the Roman Empire.[10] [...] - ^ a b c d Al-Shaheen, Mazen Mohammad Fayez (2009). History of Deir Ezzor Governorate. Syria – Deir ezzor: Dar Alturath. p. 753.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-10-06): The Lebanese Hezbollah and a number of other Iran-backed groups are also fighting alongside the Syrian army in Deir Ezzor, as are a number of local tribes, most notably the al-Shaitat tribe. Russian warplanes are providing aerial cover for pro-government advances, and Moscow announced on Thursday that it has deployed special forces to assist the Syrian army. On the eastern banks of the Euphrates River, a contingent of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, known as the Deir Ezzor military council, is also fighting ISIS. It is supported by US-led coalition warplanes and US special forces embedded within its ranks. The Deir Ezzor military council is made up mostly of Arab fighters from Deir Ezzor, but is supported by Kurdish fighters of the SDF. [...] For the Syrian government, recapturing Deir Ezzor has been a main priority since the start of 2017, and gaining complete control over Deir Ezzor city, the largest city in eastern Syria, would be a symbolic victory. [...] The province is located along part of Syria’s border with Iraq, so controlling the area would help the government reassert its authority over the quasi-totality of its frontier with its southeastern neighbor. Increased government influence in Deir Ezzor would also help Iran secure a land bridge between Iraq and Syria, especially via the city of Mayadin, which provides a land route from Damascus to Iraq.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-17): Syria’s Deir al-Zur province is currently divided into two. The division runs along the line of the Euphrates River, Syria’s main waterway.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2017-07-12): Much recent speculation has focused on the future of Syria's Deir al-Zour city and province. A major cause of such speculation has been debate over the U.S. view of Iran's role in Syria -- in particular, its goal of creating a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut. Indeed, on-the-ground military movements suggest Deir al-Zour will be reconquered by the Syrian army and its allies. [...] The staunch defense of Deir al-Zour put up by the Syrian regime and its allies is rooted in their intention to ultimately reconquer eastern Syria. This role has been entrusted to one of Syria's best generals, Issam Zahreddine, who relies on battalions of the Republican Guard, the elite troops of the Syrian army. In January 2017, hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were sent as reinforcements to Deir al-Zour, which had been mauled by an IS offensive. The National Defense Army, one of the Syrian regime's paramilitary forces, has mobilized all males older than fifteen in this effort. Also assisting the Syrian army are six hundred fighters of the al-Shaitat tribe, who are seeking to avenge the massacre perpetrated by IS against their villages. [...] The city of Deir al-Zour could well be entirely reoccupied by the Syrian army in fall 2017, with IS being pushed back toward Abu Kamal. Evidence suggests the Islamic State will not be able to take the city, whereas the Syrian army bends but does not break. The U.S.-backed rebels, for their part, are not strong enough to fight IS and reach Deir al-Zour, leaving space for regime forces to patiently carry out their campaign.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2011-03-29): Deir El Aachayer (Arabic: ديرالعشاير) is a village north of Rashaya, in the Rashaya District and south of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon.[1] [...] Deir El Aachayer has a number of local springs, including Ain Halalweh, Ain Shayeb, Ain Rouk, Ain Dibb. The village was once known by the name Deir Mar Sema’an, owing to the Monastery of Saint Simon, known locally as Al Borj, said to have been built by the Romans for preaching, religious ceremonies and practices by disciples of Saint Simon the Baptist. The monastery having been a stronghold for the students, enabling them to expand their teaching in Syria.[4] The village is near to the remains of a substantial Graeco-Roman style temple dedicated to unknown deities, with 30 metres (98 ft) long foundations and columns re-used in local construction.[5] A Greek inscription was found noting that a bench was installed "in the year 242, under Beeliabos, also called Diototos, son of Abedanos, high priest of the gods of Kiboreia". Julien Alquot argued that the bench had liturgical uses as a mobile throne.[6] The era of the gods of Kiboreia is not certain, as is their location, which is not conclusively to be identified with Deir El Aachayer, but was possibly the Roman sanctuary or the name of a settlement in the area. It has been suggested that the name Kiboreia was formed from the Aramaic word kbr, meaning a "place of great abundance".[7]
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-05-28): The Mandate for Syria and Lebanon first officially defined the border line between Lebanon and Syria after the end of World War I (WWI), when the Ottoman Empire was dissolved. France controlled this general area until 1943, when Lebanon and Syria declared their independence. Later, in 1976, Syria began a military occupation of Lebanon when Lebanon experienced political turmoil due to its civil war. This occupation continued until 2005, although the border was not officially defined at that time. In fact, some territories between these two countries remain under dispute today. One example of this dispute is the town of Deir El Aachayer. Although largely accepted as territory of Lebanon, the Syrian government continues to lay claim to this area.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2021-12-01): Deir ez-Zor governorate is located in eastern Syria. The governorate has an international border with Iraq to the east, and internal borders with Homs to the south, with Raqqa to the west and with Hasaka to the north. The Euphrates River passes through the governorate, dividing it into two parts. Deir ez-Zor is administratively divided into three districts: Deir ez-Zor, Al-Mayadin, and Al-Bukamal (alternatively Albu Kamal, Abu Kamal). In a March 2021 report, UNOCHA estimated the population of Deir ez-Zor governorate to be of 765 352 inhabitants. Deir ez-Zor is predominantly inhabited by a Sunni Arab population, with the population of Shia being marginal at estimated 2 %. The Syrian-Iraqi border crossing in Al-Bukamal has been described as ‘a major strategic thoroughfare between Damascus and Baghdad’ and as ‘the focal point of a regional geopolitical rivalry’ between Iran and the US/Israel.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-09): Photo by Bekir Kasim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-09-04): Arab-majority Deir Ezzor province, a resource-rich region which borders Iraq, is bisected by the Euphrates river and is home to dozens of local tribal communities, some of whose fighters joined the SDF in its battle against IS. [...] Control of Deir Ezzor is split between the US-backed SDF to the east of the Euphrates, and Iran-backed Syrian government forces and their proxies, including fighters from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the west.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-01-18): Deir el Aachayer, Rachaya district A large Roman temple flanked by columns is situated in the village of Deir el Aachayer, in southeast Lebanon, between the border of Lebanon and Syria. The large temple has fine stonework and molded entrances framing the doorway. The temple is still intact inside and has retained its shape, regardless of its missing stairway and most of its porch.
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-16): Deir El Aachayer Roman temple Another Greek inscription found in a large temple at Deir El Aachayer on the northern slopes notes the year that a bench was installed "in the year 242, under Beeliabos, also called Diototos, son of Abedanos, high priest of the gods of Kiboreia". The era of the gods of Kiboreia is not certain, nor is their location, which is not conclusively to be identified with Deir al-Achayer, but was possibly the Roman sanctuary or the name of a settlement in the area.[28]
Claim: Deir El Aachayer is a territory of Syria (Deir El Aachayer, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-24): Història [modifica]La frontera va ser creada el 1920 sota el Mandat francès per Síria i el Líban, amb l'establiment del Gran Líban (el "Gran" que indica l'expansió del territori del mutasarrifat de Mont Líban otomà). Però a causa de la història de l'ocupació siriana del Líban, la implicació política siriana amb el Líban des dels anys 70, la frontera mai no s'ha fixat oficialment amb cap precisió, malgrat les demandes libaneses a aquest efecte.[3] La resolució 1680 del Consell de Seguretat de les Nacions Unides (2006) i la demarcació de la frontera sobre mapes sirians i libanesos mostren importants discrepàncies en detalls. El poble de Deir El Aachayer (a l'oest de Damasc) és un exemple d'un territori reclamat pels dos països en els seus respectius mapes oficials. Les granges de Shebaa es van mostrar durant molt temps com a territori sirià en mapes libanesos durant l'ocupació israeliana dels Alts del Golan, però després de la retirada israeliana del Sud del Líban l'any 2000 van ser reclamades pel Líban.[4]