• A member of the Municipality Police of the Christian village of Al Qaa in the Northern Bekaa area looking at footage from the surveillance cameras placed around the outskirts of the town.
    A member of the Municipality Police of the Christian village of Al Qaa in the Northern Bekaa area looking at footage from the surveillance cameras placed around the outskirts of the town.
  • While the village has been decorated with Christmas lights, the festive spirit has been overwhelmed by fear.
    While the village has been decorated with Christmas lights, the festive spirit has been overwhelmed by fear.
  • This church under construction in Ras Baalbek is one of the 6 churches in the Christian village bordering Syria. a mortar hit next to a church being built in the village of 18,000 last month.
    This church under construction in Ras Baalbek is one of the 6 churches in the Christian village bordering Syria. a mortar hit next to a church being built in the village of 18,000 last month.
  • Mr Nasrallah mounts the barricaded rooftop of the lookout house in Ras Baalbek during a patrol of the hills. ‘Look at the facts on the ground; they kill Christians,’ he says bluntly.
    Mr Nasrallah mounts the barricaded rooftop of the lookout house in Ras Baalbek during a patrol of the hills. ‘Look at the facts on the ground; they kill Christians,’ he says bluntly.

World

Fighting ISIL in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley - in pictures

Rob Gurdebeke

December 21, 2014

  • English
  • Arabic

In Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, close to the Syrian border, a cluster of Christian villages are living under the threat of attack from militants belonging to ISIL and the Al Qaeda affiliate, Jabhat Al Nusra. While the villages have been decorated with Christmas lights and inflatable Santa Claus figures, the festive spirit has been overwhelmed by fear.

Photos by Maya Hautefeuille for The National

LebanonSyriaIraqISIS