Al-Qaeda affiliated groups set up in Lebanon

Al-Qaeda linked Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIL have announced their presence in Lebanon with the former vowing to confront all strongholds of the Shia group Hezbollah are "legitimate targets" for attack.

Jabhat - an affiliate of al-Qaeda's branch in Syria - said in a statement on Sunday that "Iran's party [Hezbollah] and all its bases are legitimate targets for us, wherever they are."

Meanwhile, previously an unknown figure, the Lebanese arm of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) announced their formation and pledge to fight in Syria and Iraq.

In the recording, Abu Sayyaf al-Ansari swore allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi leader of ISIL, which has its roots in the group that called itself al-Qaeda in Iraq.

"We pledge allegiance to the prince of the believers, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi... and we ask him to guide us past the obstacles, and make us your spearhead in crushing your enemy, and not a single man among us will hold back in helping you," said Ansari.

Sunnis have been warned against approaching or residing in or near Hezbollah's bases

The statements come three days after Jabhat said it carried out a car bomb attack in Beirut's southern suburbs that killed four people.  It also claimed responsibility for a deadly car bomb attack in eastern Lebanon that killed three people.

It was the sixth in a string if attacks targeting Lebanese areas dominated by Hezbollah since the Shia group sent fighters into neighbouring Syria to support the troops of President Bashar al-Assad against rebel forces.

In response to the ISIL statement, the former prime minister of Lebanon, Saad Hariri, said that the country's Sunnis refused to be a part of any conflict between al-Qaeda and Hezbollah, and denounced sectarian attacks on civilians.

"Every sane and patriotic Lebanese, of any sect, will refuse to be dragged behind these calls, as he refuses Hezbollah's war in Syria," Hariri said.