Tensions were high along the Syria-Lebanon border as Syrian soldiers, Lebanese soldiers, and militia groups traded heavy fire into Monday. The violence follows months of instability since Islamist insurgents overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and formed a new government and army.
The latest escalation began late Sunday when Syria’s defense ministry accused Hezbollah of penetrating Syrian borders and killing three Syrian soldiers of the nation’s new army. Hezbollah denied involvement, while a Lebanese security official said the soldiers initially crossed into Lebanon and were killed by armed members of a local tribe who did not wish for their town to be attacked.
Reactions came in the form of Syrian shelling of Lebanese border towns, which prompted retaliatory firing from the Lebanese army. The skirmish resulted in one Lebanese child killed and six others wounded and caused residents of Al-Qasr, a border town, to flee deeper into the land.
The Lebanese government issued the closure of border regions in coordination with Syrian authorities, as President Joseph Aoun tasked the military forces with retaliating against any cross-border strikes as he vowed further fighting would never recur. Military sources verified Tuesday that the Lebanon army had handed the bodies of the three Syria soldiers to Syrian authorities prior to sending reinforcements.
At the same time, Syria’s military dispatched a convoy of tanks and troops to strengthen outposts along the border. Syrian forces fired into the air as they marched through towns along the border, indicating a state of increased vigilance.
Syrian Major Maher Ziwani declared that more reinforcements were being sent to ward off future intrusions. With both countries bolstering their positions, tensions along the border continue to run high, sparking fears of an extended conflict.