Syrian Troops Baku Shoot With Lebanese Soldiers

JAKARTA Syrian forces were involved in a shootout with Lebanese soldiers and armed groups in Lebanon from Sunday night to Monday. This incident has become a wave of new clashes along the border between the two countries.

Tensions along the mountainous border have risen in the months since Islamic rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad from Syria, Tehran allies, and Iran-backed Lebanese armed groups, Hezbollah, and established their own institutions and soldiers.

Reported by Reuters on Monday, March 17, the Syrian Ministry of Defense accused Hezbollah of crossing into Syrian territory and kidnapping and killing three members of Syria's new army. Hezbollah denied involvement.

Lebanese security sources told Reuters three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory in advance and were killed by armed members of a tribe in northeastern Lebanon who feared their city was attacked.

In retaliation for their deaths, Syrian forces opened fire on Lebanese border towns overnight, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry and Lebanese soldiers. The residents of the city of Al-Qasr, less than one kilometer from the border, told Reuters they fled further into the interior to avoid bombings.

The Lebanese military said they had handed over the bodies of three Syrian citizens who died to the Syrian authorities. Lebanon responded to gunfire from Syrian territory by sending reinforcements to the border area.

The Syrian army sent convoys of troops and several tanks to the border on Monday, according to a Reuters reporter along the border.

Syrian troops opened fire into the air as they moved through the cities on their way to the border.

"A large number of military aid agencies are deployed to strengthen positions along the Syrian-Lebanon border and prevent any violations in the coming days," said Maher Ziwani, head of the Syrian army division deployed to the border.