Report: Syria Strictly Controlling Eastern Lebanon’s Border to Prevent Infiltrations
The Syrian security forces are imposing strict measures on the Lebanese-Syrian border all the way from the eastern border town of Arsal in the Bekaa to the northeastern border town of Wadi Khaled.
“The Syrian forces are strictly controlling the border to prevent gunmen and even humanitarian activists from crossing into Syria,” Syrian sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat on Monday.
However, Arsal crossing remains open to allow Syrian refugees to enter Lebanese territories under the supervision of the Syrian forces in order to brutally shell the vacated Syrian border towns, the sources said.
“The Syrian forces are opening fire on the animals that cross into Syria fearing that they might be holding arms and ammunition,” the source noted.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that the Syrian forces are imposing strict measures on the tops of the mountains overlooking Baalbek and Riyaq.
Meanwhile, a source close to the leadership of the rebel Free Syrian Army denied to the daily that there are fighters crossing from Lebanon into the Syrian territories.
“Those claims are completely false and the regime is holding onto its allegations to justify the shelling of the towns,” the sources pointed out.
Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon since a revolt against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad broke out in March last year.
Syria has mined several regions along the porous border to prevent the smuggling of weapons and infiltration of rebel fighters.
At least three people have been killed since October and several have been wounded when Syrian troops, staging incursions into Lebanon, opened fire on border villages.
Lebanon and Syria share a 330-kilometer border but have yet to agree on official demarcation.
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