evidence: 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.