Lebanon and Syria reach ceasefire after deadly border clashes
Lebanese Defence Minister Michel Menassa and Syrian Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra have agreed to a ceasefire deal after two days of clashes along their border, both governments confirmed late on March 17th.
The agreement also includes continued contact between their military intelligence agencies to prevent further escalation, as reported by The National.
The violence, which began on March 16th, has resulted in at least nine fatalities, including four Syrian soldiers and a 15-year-old Lebanese boy, killed in a Syrian bombing in the Qasr border region.
The clashes took place between Syria’s Homs governorate and Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley province of Hermel.
They were sparked by the ambush and killing of four members of the Syrian Defence troops in a border attack on March 16th, according to a source cited by The National.
Hermel, a Hezbollah stronghold, is also home to clans involved in illicit activities.
The escalation in conflict has caused recent efforts by the two governments to improve relations to fall flat.
The ceasefire deal announced March 17th stipulates “enhanced coordination between the two sides”, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defence.
On March 17th, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on the Lebanese Foreign Minister to contact Syrian officials to resolve the situation and prevent further escalation.
Aoun condemned the ongoing violence, stating, “What is happening on the eastern and northern borders cannot continue, and we will not accept it.”
He also ordered the Lebanese army to retaliate against the source of the fire.
Hezbollah MP Hussein Al Hajj Hassan accused Syrian fighters of crossing into Lebanese territory and attacking border villages.
However, he clarified that Hezbollah had no involvement in the incident.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah is the only non-state group allowed to carry arms in Lebanon.
This stems from the support it received from Syria’s Assad regime, which was the dominant power in Lebanon following the end of the Civil War in 1990.
The recent border clashes highlight the fragile nature of relations between Lebanon and Syria, as well as the volatility of the region.
Despite the ceasefire, the border clashes among other ongoing tensions and strategic complexities involving Hezbollah and various armed factions continue to threaten stability along the shared border.
The National.
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