Four Lebanese soldiers, militant killed in army raid

Military source identifies militant as Khaled al-Talawi, describing him as former member of Islamic State group and leader of cell behind killing last month of three people in north Lebanese village of Kaftoun.

BEIRUT - Four Lebanese soldiers were killed overnight when they raided a house in north Lebanon in pursuit of a militant wanted in connection with a fatal shooting last month, a military source said on Monday.

The militant was killed in the hours after the raid as he tried to flee, the source said.

The source identified the militant as Khaled al-Talawi, describing him as a former member of the Islamic State group and leader of a cell behind the killing last month of three people in the north Lebanese village of Kaftoun.

The military said in a statement that an army intelligence patrol had been attacked with gunfire and a hand grenade in the Minyeh Jabal al-Bedawi area, near the city of Tripoli.

The statement said three soldiers had been killed and one wounded. The source said the fourth soldier later died of his wounds.