Lebanon and Syria have reached a ceasefire agreement following two days of intense border clashes, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported on Monday. The agreement includes enhanced coordination between the two nations’ defense forces to prevent further escalation, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
The violence erupted after Syria’s interim government accused militants from Lebanon’s Hezbollah of crossing into Syria, abducting three soldiers, and killing them on Lebanese soil. Hezbollah denied involvement, while reports suggested that local clans involved in smuggling operations may have played a role. The clashes were among the most serious cross-border incidents since the fall of Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed that seven Lebanese citizens, including a four-year-old girl, were killed in the clashes, and 52 others were injured. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that five Syrian soldiers had also been killed. As the conflict escalated, footage showed families fleeing toward the Lebanese town of Hermel.
In response to the escalating violence, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered the army to retaliate against the sources of fire. He also directed Lebanon’s foreign minister, who was in Brussels for a donors’ conference, to engage with Syrian officials to prevent further tensions.
The clashes have raised broader regional concerns, with UN envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert warning that Israeli military presence in Lebanon and ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Syria could have far-reaching consequences. On Monday, Israeli strikes targeted military sites in southern Syria, including in the city of Daraa, reportedly killing three people and injuring 14, including women and children.
Both Lebanese and Syrian armies have since opened communication channels to ease tensions, and Lebanese troops have been deployed along the border. However, sporadic fighting continued early Monday, with reports of an attack on a Syrian military vehicle. The fragile ceasefire is now being closely monitored as both sides seek to de-escalate tensions.
Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/2593946/middle-east