Hezbollah and Lebanon flags at pro-Hezbollah rally in Stockholm. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

A senior official in the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist group said Monday that the growing takeover by ISIS-affiliated fighters of areas in nearby Syria justified the necessity of their continued deployment to fight them, according the Daily Star.

“There could never be a war of words between ISIS and us, but there is the field where we will defeat them. We will not engage in a war of statements or political disputes,” declared Nabil Qaouk, deputy head of the party’s executive council, at a ceremony in the southern Lebanese village of Aita Shaab, near Israel.

“Day after day, it is becoming clear to Lebanon, the Arab, Muslim and international communities that there is a great need for Hezbollah to remain in Syria,” Qaouk claimed. “The current situation today imposes on Hezbollah to stay in Syria more than any other time.”

Charging that “This battle demands a change in national priorities,” Qaouk said that recent clashes between Lebanese army forces and ISIS and Nusra Front forces in the border village of Arsal had pushed Lebanon into the fight.

After five days of battle, ISIS and Nusra forces hold at least 22 captured soldiers and policemen, according to the Lebanese daily, which said that ISIS terrorists had beheaded two of the hostage soldiers, hoping to make the government accede to its demands.

Watch a video of Hezbollah rocket crews firing at ISIS positions:

[iframe width=”640″ height=”360″ src=”http://www.liveleak.com/ll_embed?f=1680d10f1703″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>]

Meanwhile, a senior officer in the IDF’s Northern Command on Sunday warned that Hezbollah was preparing the groundwork for future battles with the Jewish State, including blitz-like hostage-taking raids into border communities.

On Monday, however, local leaders of Israeli towns and villages along the Lebanese and Syrian borders said they weren’t frightened or surprised by the warnings, Israel’s NRG News said.

“We’re not afraid of Hizbullah – or anyone else,” said one official, who noted that military tensions in the vicinity are nothing new. “The army will alert us and we’ll be ready for anything,” said Benny Ben-Muvhar, head of the Mevot Hahermon Regional Council.

“We are a strong people, with a strong army, and, when it happens, we’ll know how to deal with any eventuality that comes our way,” he asserted.