Little Fires Everywhere: Fighting Erupts on Syrian-Lebanese Border

The Syrian army launched artillery and rocket strikes on northern Lebanon this week after accusing militant group Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three Syrian soldiers on Lebanese territory, escalating cross-border tensions between the two countries, the Washington Post reported Monday.

The violence began over the weekend and continued into Monday as Syrian troops clashed with local armed groups and Lebanese soldiers, forcing civilians in border towns to flee.

Officials in Syria’s Defense Ministry reportedly accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of ambushing the three soldiers near the Zeita Dam, west of the Syrian city of Homs, before taking them to Lebanon and executing them.

Hezbollah denied the accusations, claiming it had “no connection to any events taking place within Syrian territory.”

The details surrounding their deaths remain unclear, with Lebanese media claiming that the three soldiers entered northeastern Lebanon first and clashed with local tribespeople – many of the tribes in that area are loyal to Hezbollah, according to the newspaper.

The Lebanese army deployed reinforcements and said it had communicated with Syrian officials to de-escalate the situation. In the presence of Lebanese troops, the bodies of the three soldiers were handed over to Syrian authorities.

The Lebanese border has long been a strategic route for Hezbollah, used for smuggling arms and cash from Iran.

Syria’s new government, led by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, has vowed to crack down on Tehran’s activities in the region. Following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar Assad – an ally of Iran – in December, tensions have increased along the border, with armed clashes between Syrian forces and pro-Assad Lebanese clans, according to Al Jazeera.

Syrian state media reported that the Lebanese army shelled “Hezbollah gatherings that killed the Syrian soldiers.” The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested that Lebanese armed groups were also involved, but the reports remain unconfirmed.

Four journalists embedded with the Syrian army sustained minor injuries when an artillery shell, allegedly fired from Lebanon, struck their position. Al Arabiya, a Saudi-owned news outlet, claimed that a Hezbollah rocket injured its cameraman and several others near the border.

The violence has raised concerns about Lebanon’s security because its army is already stretched thin enforcing a ceasefire with Israel in the south.

Amid the clashes in the north, Israeli forces carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday and Monday, targeting two Hezbollah fighters. It struck targets in southern Syria last week.