Syrian Shot Dead Crossing Border from Lebanon

A Syrian was shot dead and two others wounded as they tried to cross the border from Lebanon back into their country Saturday, security and medical sources said.

The three men had left the northern Lebanese village of Muqaibleh and were trying to reach the nearby Syrian village of Msherfeh when they were shot at, the sources said.

The victim's body and the two wounded were taken to a hospital in northern Lebanon.

Witnesses in Lebanon have said that the Syrian army has deployed reinforcements to the border since Friday.

The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations recently sent a letter to the chief of the world body, Ban Ki-moon, arguing that border regions of northern Lebanon were harboring Al-Qaida operatives.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati responded with rare criticism of Damascus, arguing that such accusations only exacerbated tensions.

The revolt in Syria has created tensions in Lebanon -- which spent 30 years under Syrian domination -- and split some border regions in factions supporting or opposing Bashar Assad's regime.

Fighting in Tripoli, the main city in northern Lebanon, has left 10 dead and dozens of wounded over the past week.