Syrian forces and rebels clash inside Lebanon
- 12 years ago
The violence in Syria comes to Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Syrian troops crossed into Lebanon destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels who had taken refuge there.
Residents say Syrian forces crossed a few hundred meters into Lebanese territory. A security source in Beirut says clashes took place near the poorly marked border but did not confirm Syrian troops had entered the country.
A local resident describes the shelling.
SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED LEBANESE CITIZEN AND RESIDENT OF THE AREA WITH SCARF OVER HIS FACE, SAYING:
"The shelling was from all directions, from al Qusair-Mashta checkpoint, and all other checkpoints around us. So we fled the area there and we came here."
Lebanon has had a complicated relationship with Syria, which continues to exercise some influence over its neighbor despite the 2005 departure of thousands of Syrian troops and intelligence operatives from Lebanese soil.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
On Tuesday, Syrian troops crossed into Lebanon destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels who had taken refuge there.
Residents say Syrian forces crossed a few hundred meters into Lebanese territory. A security source in Beirut says clashes took place near the poorly marked border but did not confirm Syrian troops had entered the country.
A local resident describes the shelling.
SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED LEBANESE CITIZEN AND RESIDENT OF THE AREA WITH SCARF OVER HIS FACE, SAYING:
"The shelling was from all directions, from al Qusair-Mashta checkpoint, and all other checkpoints around us. So we fled the area there and we came here."
Lebanon has had a complicated relationship with Syria, which continues to exercise some influence over its neighbor despite the 2005 departure of thousands of Syrian troops and intelligence operatives from Lebanese soil.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.