Arsal Aarsal, Ersal 'Irsal | |
|---|---|
Town and Municipality | |
  Arsal Location in Lebanon | |
| Coordinates:34°10′46″N36°25′15″E / 34.17944°N 36.42083°E /34.17944; 36.42083 | |
| Country |  Lebanon |
| Governorate | Baalbek-Hermel |
| District | Baalbek |
| Area | |
• Total | 122.37 sq mi (316.94 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,090 ft (1,550 m) |
| Population Estimate | |
• Total | 50,000[1] |
| Time zone | EST+7 |
| Alternative name | Ain Chaub |
|---|---|
| Location | 3 km (1.9 mi) east ofLabweh |
| Type | Rock shelter |
| History | |
| Cultures | Natufian |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1970, 1976 |
| Archaeologists | Bruce Schroeder |
| Public access | Yes |
Arsal (also spelledAarsal,Ersal or 'Irsal;Arabic:عرسال), is a town andmunicipality situated east ofLabweh, 124 kilometres (77 mi) northeast ofBeirut, inBaalbek District ofBaalbek-Hermel Governorate,Lebanon.[2] The population is predominantlySunni Muslim.
It is a traditional town situated on the slopes of theAnti-Lebanon mountains.[3] It is known for its local hand-madecarpet industry.[4] The area is known to be one of the few places in the Anti-Lebanon with a good water supply.[5] TheLebanese Ministry of Tourism brochure suggests that the name Arsal or Ersal means"God's Throne" inAramaic. It documents several rock-cut benches (mastabas) in the village, numerous historical monuments in the nearby hills and an ancient fortified structure in the nearbyWadi Al-Toun of unknown date.[2]
Ain Choaab orAin Chaub spring is located in the nearby hills, just of the main road from Arsal to Labweh. There areNatufian rock shelters situated 80 metres (260 ft) above thewadi bed of the spring that can be accessed via a steep climb up a ridge.Flint tools were collected from the site byBruce Schroeder in 1970.[6][7] The Ain Choaab archaeological site has not yet been excavated.[8]
In 1838,Eli Smith noted 'Arsal as aMetawileh village in theBaalbek area.[9]
On 17 September 2012,Syrianground-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 LebanesepresidentMichel Sleiman to launch an investigation, whilst not publicly blaming Syria for the incident.[10]
On 22 September 2012, a group of armed members of theFree Syrian Army attacked a border post near Arsal. This was reported to be the second incursion within a week. The group were chased off into the hills by theLebanese Army, who detained and later released some rebels due to pressure from locals. Michel Sleiman praised the actions taken by the military as maintaining Lebanon's position being "neutral from the conflicts of others". He called on border residents to "stand beside their army and assist its members."Syria has repeatedly called for an intensified crackdown on rebels that it claims are hiding in Lebanese border towns.[11][12]
One thousand four hundred refugee children from theSyrian civil war have been displaced into the town, where schools only have places for one hundred students. The situation reflects a growing crisis threatening to overwhelm theBeqaa educational system.[13]
On 2 February 2013, the Lebanese army was the victim of an armed ambush in the town as it was seeking to arrest Khaled Homayed. Two army officers were killed and a number of soldiers were wounded. Homayed is believed to have been involved with theFatah al-Islam organization that was responsible for many deadly attacks on the Lebanese army as well as thekidnapping of seven Estonians in 2011. He is also believed to be active with the Free Syrian Army. Town residents refused to cooperate with the army to reveal the whereabouts of the gunmen who were responsible for the ambush.[14]
In August 2014, ISIS and its allieslaunched a full-scale invasion and the battle with Lebanese troops went on for five days before they were forced back into Syria.
In January 2016 a local newspaper reported that there were 10,000 Syrian refugees in Arsal itself with a further 100,000 in dozens of camps around the town.[15] A second report estimated that Arsal was host to 50,000 refugees.[16]
On 21 July 2017, a Syrian Army commander stated that his forces andHezbollah had launched a joint campaign to recapture the remaining territory under militant control near theLebanon-Syria border, attacking the outskirts of Arsal. The Lebanese Army meanwhile assumed a defensive position in Arsal.[17]
In 2019, the Lebanese central government decided to demolish the refuges' huts built ofhollow blocks over the war years on the grounds of missing building permits. According to theUNHCR, the resolution affects about 2,300 shelters in 17 camps around Arsal and up to 15,000 people, of whom about half are children.[18]
Ref* Conference Institute for the Study of Religious Communities (G.H.Tardy, MA, expert Sherp.) -"Refugees in Lebanon and Destruction of Regional Geopolitical Diversity, 2019". In sup. "L'Intégrité du Liban en danger), Beirut, 2018.
Since the use of bulldozers in the demolition took no account of the interior facilities and the destruction of mattresses, kitchen appliances, furniture, water tanks was accepted, the humanitarian situation in Arsal has deteriorated dramatically. From now on, according to the government, only tents are still allowed for Syrian residents.[19]
In 2014Muslims made up 99.69% of registered voters in Arsal. 98.86% of the voters wereSunni Muslims.[20]
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