Five Lebanese soldiers have been wounded by attacks against their positions from armed groups on the Syrian border.
Is this an indication of the shape of things to come?
The Cradle reports…
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced in a statement on 3 January that its soldiers clashed with Syrian armed elements on Lebanon’s northern border with Syria after the militants attempted to forcibly open a border crossing with a bulldozer.
“While an army unit was working to close an illegal crossing on the Lebanese–Syrian border in the Maarboun–Baalbek area, Syrians attempted to open the crossing using a bulldozer, so army personnel fired warning shots into the air, and the Syrians opened fire,” the LAF said.
بتاريخ ٣ / ١ / ٢٠٢٥، أثناء عمل وحدة من الجيش على إغلاق معبر غير شرعي عند الحدود اللبنانية السورية في منطقة معربون – بعلبك، حاول أشخاص سوريون فتح المعبر بواسطة جرافة، فأطلق عناصر الجيش نيرانًا تحذيرية في الهواء، وعمد السوريون إلى إطلاق النار نحو عناصر الجيش ما أدى إلى إصابة أحدهم… pic.twitter.com/GFllAnc6lt
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) January 3, 2025
A Lebanese soldier was wounded in the clash, it added. “The army units deployed in the sector have taken strict military measures, and the necessary follow-up is being conducted on the incident.” Hours later on Friday, the Lebanese army announced renewed clashes with militants on the Syrian border after another attack on LAF troops and the injury of four soldiers.
تجدُّد الاشتباكات في منطقة معربون – بعلبك عند الحدود اللبنانية السورية بين الجيش ومسلحين سوريين بعد استهدافهم وحدة عسكرية بواسطة سلاح متوسط، ما أدى إلى تعرُّض ٤ عناصر من الجيش لإصابات متوسطة.#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/1gummStauz
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) January 3, 2025
The attacks coincided with reports that Syrian authorities have restricted the entry of Lebanese citizens to Syria via the border. Some exceptions have been made, however, according to Reuters.
Similar clashes took place last month between the Lebanese army and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) armed groups that took over Syria after the collapse of former president Bashar al-Assad’s government on 8 December.
HTS was previously known by the names of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jaish al-Fatah, and the Nusra Front – which was Al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria.
It was responsible for suicide bombings in Lebanon and the kidnapping and killing of many Lebanese soldiers between 2014 and 2017 – which was the height of Hezbollah’s campaign against extremist groups inside Syria and its joint efforts with the LAF in repelling Nusra Front and ISIS fighters who had taken control over large areas in the barrens of Ras Baalbek and Arsal in the north.
The US removed its bounty on HTS’s leader Ahmad al-Sharaa – also known as former Al-Qaeda and ISIS chief Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Officials from Washington, Paris, and Berlin have visited Syria and held talks with the transitional authority Sharaa’s organization has appointed.
The new HTS de facto government has failed to prevent sectarian attacks on Christians and Alawites by its forces, and has introduced controversial and extremist reforms to Syria’s educational system. Meanwhile, Israeli troops continue to attack Syria and expand their military presence in its south, where they have taken control over key water sources and strategic vantage points.
The attack on the northern Lebanese border came as Israeli forces continue to advance in southern Lebanon and violate the ceasefire announced on 27 November – the same day HTS-led forces began their assault that resulted in the toppling of Assad’s government…
Continue this analysis at The Cradle
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