BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun Wednesday declared Lebanon’s triumph over terrorism, while Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun lauded his troops’ valiant efforts while announcing the conclusion of the “Fajr al-Joroud” operation.

“Today we announce our victory over terrorism,” President Aoun said during a joint news conference with Gen. Aoun.

Lauding the Army, the president added: “We congratulate the leadership of the Army and the soldiers who have made this victory, and we bow before the martyrs that have fallen.”

Gen. Aoun then praised his troops and the Army for achieving the two main objectives.

“The battle of Fajr al-Joroud is over and it has achieved its two objectives, which were to expel Daesh and find out the fate of the kidnapped soldiers,” Gen. Aoun said.

Responding to recent criticism of the cease-fire deal, Gen. Aoun said: “I understand [the critics’ point of view], but there is responsibility on our shoulders. If we are able to win a battle without fighting it, that is a success for us.”

The Army commander said Daesh was taken by surprise at the Army’s tactics, explaining that the military had launched a three-pronged attack that the militants weren’t able to counter. They were consequently cornered and some fled while the rest were forced to agree to a deal, the commander said.

The offensive resulted in the deaths of dozens of militants, although the military has not given a precise figure. The Army announced Wednesday that Corporal Aref Diab succumbed to injuries he sustained during the Army’s offensive, bringing the death toll to seven Lebanese soldiers.

Cpl. Diab, 34, died Tuesday due to injuries incurred after his unit hit a roadside mine on the outskirts of the border town of Arsal on Aug. 20. Diab leaves behind his wife and one child. His body will be laid to rest in his hometown of Fakis, in Tripoli.

Following the victory announcement, Gen. Aoun spoke with U.S. Central Command head Gen. Joseph Votel who congratulated the head of the Lebanese Army for its victory. Votel phoned Gen. Aoun to congratulate him and the Army and “confirmed the enduring American support for the Army with weapons and [logistics] to strengthen its capabilities,” an Army statement reported.

Gen. Aoun then thanked Votel for his call and assured him that the weapons and support provided by the U.S. had played a key role in the Army’s success over Daesh.

Earlier in the day, Gen. Aoun offered his condolences to the families of fallen soldiers. “I tell these heroes: You are present in our souls, we will never forget you,” Aoun said in a statement released by the Army. “This achievement ... in the Army’s march ... has turned the page on a painful period in our national life.”

Aoun’s statements came as the Army celebrated a bittersweet victory following its successful offensive against Daesh, having liberated Lebanon’s northeastern border regions from the militant group.

The victory was marred by the news that nine servicemen captured by Daesh in the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014 had been killed during their captivity.

The location of the captured soldiers’ burial site was disclosed by Daesh militants as part of a deal for them to leave for eastern Syria.

“Today, after you have ended the ‘Fajr al-Joroud’ operation, in which you achieved a decisive victory over terrorism by expelling it from the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Al-Qaa ... this dear area returns to the fold of the nation,” Gen. Aoun said, addressing the troops.

With the conclusion of the 10-day offensive, the remaining militant controlled areas on Lebanese soil were eradicated. Daesh fighters left Lebanon Monday bound for Syria’s Deir al-Zor as part of a Hezbollah-negotiated deal that ended the group’s presence on the outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Al-Qaa as well as in Syria’s western Qalamoun.

Over 30 servicemen were taken captive when Daesh – and what was then the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front – briefly overran Arsal in 2014. Several were killed in captivity while many of the others were released in a December 2015 deal. Eight bodies were recovered from the outskirts of Arsal. Six of the bodies have so far been identified, but names will not be made public until all the DNA results are available.

The body of Abbas Medlej, another missing soldier – reportedly not one of the Daesh captives – was retrieved Tuesday.

“There is no confirmation that it’s him yet because the body was left out in the open,” a security source told The Daily Star. The source added that a national day of mourning would be announced immediately following the revelation of the DNA results.

The funeral for the martyred soldiers will be held Sept. 7. President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Saad Hariri are expected to attend.