At Least 100 Syrian Refugees Killed or Wounded in Arsal Clashes
More than 100 Syrian refugees have been either killed or wounded in the deadly clashes between army troops and jihadist fighters in the northeastern border town of Arsal, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced on Wednesday.
"At least 100 Syrian refugees have been killed or wounded in the shelling on regions where they are taking refuge in Arsal,” the Observatory said in a released statement, without holding any party responsible for the bombing.
It also called on the United Nations not to limit its support to providing food and humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees, but to also work on evacuating them from the Bekaa region and to find safe havens for them.
The Observatory had urged in a previous statement for “immediately halting all shelling and military operations in regions where Syrians are taking refuge.”
"These people were forced to leave their homes, towns and cities in Syria and came to Lebanon to escape military operations and shelling,” it noted.
Army chief General Jean Qahwaji assured on Tuesday that the “army's fight against takfiris (extremists) is continuing.”
He remarked on Sunday that the fighters are foreigners of different nationalities who came from neighboring countries in coordination with people residing in refugee camps.
The fighting in Arsal erupted on Saturday after soldiers arrested a man accused of belonging to al-Qaida's Syrian affiliate, Al-Nusra Front.
At least 17 soldiers have been killed in the Arsal fighting, including two officers, according to security sources, and the army said 22 troops are missing, possibly taken hostage.
Another 20 policemen are also missing, security sources say, and 86 soldiers have been wounded.
S.D.B.
Source: Naharnet
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