Syria Army Says 'Respects Lebanon Sovereignty'
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Hours after a helicopter gunship fired missiles at a majority Sunni town in eastern Lebanon Wednesday, Syria's army command said it respects its neighbor's sovereignty and territorial integrity, state news agency SANA said.
The army said it will continue to target rebels across Syrian territory, but that it is "committed to respecting the sovereignty of the Lebanese republic, its territorial integrity and the safety of its people".
Using the term "terrorist" to refer to rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's regime, the army command said the strike came after "one of the air force's helicopters spotted an armed terrorist group as its members tried to flee towards Lebanese territory".
The helicopter "managed to hit some (of the group's members), while others succeeded in reaching Arsal, so they were targeted with more fire", the army said.
The statement comes hours after Lebanon's army warned it will hit back against any new attacks from Syria.
The two rockets fired Wednesday on Arsal, a majority Sunni Muslim town, injured one person.
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman called the attack "a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty" and said the country has the right to take steps to defend itself and to "submit a complaint" to the U.N. and the Arab League.
The attack on central Arsal, whose residents support the anti-Assad revolt in neighboring Syria, was the first such strike in the nearly 27-month conflict.
Arsal is sensitive because it is just 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the border with Syria.
Experts say it has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter Syria, while it has also served as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict into Lebanon.
Dozens of people wounded in fighting in the key town of Qusayr -- most of them rebels -- flocked to Arsal for treatment last week as the Syrian army and Hizbullah overran the former insurgent bastion.
13 June 2013, 07:15
49
bunch of BS.
the Syrian regime never failed to attack us when it suited them, so now they want us to believe they were targeting the FSA inside the town of Arsal?
the same lies all over, and what remains is they do not have the right to conduct operations inside Lebanon, as well as they do not have the right to send Samaha and his likes to conduct terrorist bombings and assassinations.
this regime has no credibility and is rejected by any true Lebanese.
13 June 2013, 07:19
48
Assad and his murderer father before him consider Lebanon part of Syria, and as such they believe firing at Arsal or any lebanese territory is the same as firing within syrian territory in pursuit of what they believe are anti regime groups.
13 June 2013, 07:37
47
Perhaps someone can inform me. Does Lebanon have no Air Force at all, and if not artillery.
It only needs a couple of rockets fired at the right targets to inform the Syrians that what goes in one direction can also go in the other.
13 June 2013, 07:51
35
"committed to respecting the sovereignty of the Lebanese republic, its territorial integrity and the safety of its people"... well then it must be true, after all the Assad's would never lie. Just look at how "committed to respecting the sovereignty of the Lebanese republic" the Assad's have been for the last 30 years. Send Ali and the JR Syrian Foreign Minister Mansour back to Damascus.
13 June 2013, 09:37
34
"president suleiman called the attack "a violation of lebanon's sovereignty and said the country has the right to take steps to defend itself and to "submit a complaint" to the u.n. and the arab league"
we know and the whole world knows lebanon has the right to defend itself so please do it for god's sake and for lebanon's honor and dignity.
13 June 2013, 09:41
35
food for thought: what do you think would have happened if an israeli helicopter attacked in the same manner a village in the south?????
13 June 2013, 11:40
34
Yes, they respectfully violate the sovereignty. Like rape while saying "I love you".
13 June 2013, 12:44
24
Bashar still thinks like his papa... this thug thinks Lebanon is a Syrian province...
13 June 2013, 13:17
23
awww the kitty cat exposes it's little claws and tries to scratch... how cute :D!!!! Before u start scratching away, maybe u should reflect on urself and u'd realize that u're looking in the mirror!!! As far as my physical aspect... sorry mate I don't swing like that, but u should try to hook up with Flamer "FT" and his gang-bang buddies :D u guys would make a amazing group of flamers!!!
13 June 2013, 13:29
23
Ok jackass here it is: If u morons can be, just for once, 1% Lebanese then I'd back off, but the truth is that...well ur statements say it all. How the fuck can any piece of shit low life call him/herself Lebanese when they have no problem with a foreign country bombing Lebanon!!!!!!! Unless u are against everything that the hell hole is doing?!?!? other than that GO FUCK URSELF (OR JUST PASS THROUGH EL-RABYE, EL-DAHYE OR BOTH :D) Actually.. rouh 3al dahye w ba3den rouh 3a souria!! u should have fun there as well!!!!! enjoy kitten !!!
13 June 2013, 16:15
12
This is probably the single biggest lie I have ever heard!. Assad respecting Lebanon's sovereignty? NOOOOT
13 June 2013, 16:15
11
This is probably the single biggest lie I have ever heard!. Assad respecting Lebanon's sovereignty? NOOOOT
13 June 2013, 17:21
02
why don t you criticize the violation of lebanese sovereignty by a foreign army instead of revisiting the past?
13 June 2013, 19:17
02
not a word of condemnation of the FPM bootlickers of this site?
strange from people boasting they are for lebanon's independance and sovereignty!
13 June 2013, 19:48
01
the1, this is what get when you humor lunatics who's only agenda is to silence the other and if that fails, eliminate him completely by oppressing him at gunpoint. I hope you soon realize that while you are trying to debate with reason and respect the other is only interested in not hearing you at all.
13 June 2013, 21:07
01
yeah, they respect it enough to go 12km in and fire mortars--do they do that over Turkey, Israel, or Jordan?
How dumb do they think we are (m8 not included)?
14 June 2013, 02:32
00
Wolf,
Did he or did he not fly to Israel via a Helicopter down the coast ?
For your twisted sense of logic. Bashir went to Israel to coordinate the building of the road that was passing through Jouneh to Palestine.
Tell me my friend, when your fellow Lebanese citizens were being attacked or attacking if you like the Palestinians, Whose side were you on.
