17-03-2025
Lebanese President orders army to respond to fire from Syria
Shafaq News/ Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that he had instructed the army to respond to cross-border fire, as clashes and shelling renewed along the Lebanon-Syria border.
'What is happening on Lebanon's eastern and northeastern borders cannot persist, and we will not accept its continuation,' Aoun said.
'I have given directives to the Lebanese army to respond to sources of fire from the Syrian side,' he added.
رئيس الجمهورية: ما يحصل على الحدود الشرقية والشمالية الشرقية لا يمكن أن يستمر، ولن نقبل باستمراره. وقد أعطيتُ توجيهاتي للجيش اللبناني بالردّ على مصادر النيران
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) March 17, 2025
Details surrounding the escalation remain unclear, with conflicting accounts about how the violence began.
A Lebanese source told Shafaq News that three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory to steal livestock when they were confronted and killed by local shepherds. The Lebanese army then coordinated with Syrian authorities and returned the bodies.
However, Syria's Defense Ministry said that armed Hezbollah members crossed the border into Homs province and killed Syrian soldiers.
Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the incident.
Following the handover of the bodies, Lebanese villages and towns near the border came under shelling from the Syrian side. The Lebanese army said it responded with 'appropriate weapons' and reinforced its positions to restore security.
The military stated that communication remains ongoing with Syrian authorities to maintain stability in the border region.
بتاريخ ٢٠٢٥/٣/١٦، بعد مقتل سوريَّين وإصابة آخر عند الحدود اللبنانية السورية في محيط منطقة القصر - الهرمل، نُقل الجريح إلى أحد المستشفيات للمعالجة وما لبث أن فارق الحياة. على أثر ذلك، نفذ الجيش تدابير أمنية استثنائية، وأجرى اتصالات مكثفة منذ ليل ١٦-٢٠٢٥/٣/١٧ حتى ساعات الصباح…
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) March 17, 2025
