Egypt Daily News – Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Mansi and Syrian Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Qasra announced in separate statements on Monday that they had agreed to a ceasefire following border clashes between Lebanon and Syria that claimed ten lives over the past two days.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense and the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that three soldiers from the New Syrian Army and seven Lebanese were killed in the clashes. Additionally, 52 people were injured on the Lebanese side, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health.
Lebanon’s National News Agency stated that both ministers agreed to maintain communication between Lebanese military intelligence and Syrian intelligence to prevent further escalation and civilian casualties.
On Sunday night, the Syrian Ministry of Defense accused Hezbollah fighters of crossing into Syrian territory, kidnapping three New Syrian Army soldiers, and killing them. Hezbollah denied any involvement.
A Lebanese security source told Reuters that the three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory first and were killed by armed tribesmen in northeastern Lebanon, who feared an attack on their town.
In response to their deaths, Syrian forces shelled Lebanese border towns overnight. Residents of Al-Qasr, a town less than a kilometer from the border, reported fleeing the area due to the bombardment.
On Monday, the Lebanese army announced that it had handed over the bodies of the three Syrian soldiers to Syrian authorities and had reinforced its deployment along the border to restore security.
A Reuters correspondent at the border reported that Syria had sent a military convoy, including soldiers and tanks, to reinforce positions along the Lebanese-Syrian border. Syrian forces fired shots into the air while passing through towns on their way to the border.
Maher Al-Ziwani, a Syrian army unit commander stationed at the border, stated, “Significant military reinforcements have arrived to support border positions and prevent further violations in the coming days.”
