A commander in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad confirmed the assault to the Reuters, while a Lebanese security source explained to DPA news agency that shells were „raining down“ on posts belonging to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda previously known as al-Nusra Front, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

The Qalamoun Mountains between Syria and Lebanon has also been a base of operations for ISIL fighters.