Lebanon and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire after two days of border clashes, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense. The agreement, which also calls for “enhanced coordination and cooperation” between the two countries, came after deadly fighting erupted overnight along the frontier.
Seven Lebanese citizens were killed and 52 injured in the clashes, including a 4-year-old girl. The violence began on Saturday when Syria’s interim government accused militants from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group of crossing into Syria, abducting three soldiers and killing them on Lebanese soil.
Hezbollah denied involvement, but local clans in the border region have been involved in cross-border smuggling. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that five Syrian soldiers were killed during Monday’s clashes.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered troops to retaliate against the source of gunfire from the Syrian side of the border after more deadly fighting erupted overnight. However, the two countries have since opened channels of communication to ease tensions.
The fighting has been ongoing for months in the area between the Syrian military and armed Lebanese Shiite clans closely allied with the former government of Assad. Large numbers of Lebanese troops have been deployed in the area, including at the southern border with Israel.
International leaders are calling for restraint and caution. The UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert warned that sustained Israeli presence on Lebanese territory alongside ongoing Israeli strikes could lead to “serious ripple effects.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-syria-army-border-hezbollah-hts-beb2bb44fabc186ab67e661a26b47e3b