Arsal (also transcribed as Aarsal, Ersal or ‘Irsal) (Arabic: عرسال‎) is a city located east of Labweh, 124 kilometers (77 miles) northeast of Beirut, in the Baalbek district of the Beqaa Governorate in Lebanon. The confessional composition of the population is mainly Sunni Muslims.

It is a traditional city located on the slopes of Anti-Lebanon. The city is famous for its folk craft – hand-made carpet weaving. One of the few places in Anti-Lebanon with enough water. An advertising leaflet from the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism claims that the name Arsal or Ersal means “Throne of God” in Aramaic. The booklet mentions numerous historical monuments in the neighboring hills and ancient fortifications in the nearby Wadi al-Tun.

Civil War in Syria
On September 17, 2012, a Syrian fighter-bomber fired three missiles 500 meters (1,600 ft) across the border into Lebanese territory, landing near Arsal. It was assumed that the planes were pursuing insurgents in this area who could cross the border. The attack prompted Lebanese President Michel Sleiman to launch an investigation, although he did not publicly blame Syria for the incident.

On September 22, 2012, a group of armed members of the Free Syrian Army attacked a border post near Arsal. This was reported to be the second invasion of Lebanese territory from Syria within a week. The members of the group were forced into the mountains by the Lebanese army, which detained and later released some of the rebels at the request of local residents. Michel Suleiman praised the measures taken by the armed forces as helping to maintain Lebanon’s neutral status with respect to “foreign conflicts.” He appealed to the inhabitants of the border regions with an appeal to “support their army and help it.” Syria has repeatedly called for increased crackdowns on rebels it demands extradited who are hiding in Lebanese border towns.

1,400 refugee children fleeing the Syrian civil war have been relocated to a city where schools can only accommodate 100 students. This situation illustrates a deepening crisis that could lead to the collapse of the education system in the Bekaa.

February 2, 2013 Lebanese army soldiers ambushed the city while trying to arrest Khaled Khomeyed. Two officers were killed and many soldiers were wounded. Homeyed is believed to have been linked to Fatah al-Islam, which is responsible for many attacks on the Lebanese army resulting in deaths, as well as the kidnapping of seven Estonians in 2011. He is also believed to be an active member of the Free Syrian Army. The townspeople refused to cooperate with the army and did not indicate the whereabouts of the bandits who were responsible for the ambush. In August 2014, ISIS and their allies launched a full scale invasion and the “Battle of Arsal” began. The battle went on for five days before the militants were surrendered to Syria.