Syrian and Lebanese smugglers clashed along the eastern border Tuesday in the rugged areas of Sargaya in Syria and Maaraboun in Lebanon, leaving at least two people dead and one wounded, according to security sources on both sides.
The commander of the western region of Syria’s Border Guard Directorate said Syrian forces staged an ambush to intercept a shipment of narcotics heading into Syrian territory. When the Lebanese smugglers arrived, they allegedly opened fire on a Syrian smuggler and border guards, sparking a firefight that killed one Lebanese and led to the arrest of another, who was wounded and handed over to judicial authorities. The narcotics were seized.
Lebanese security sources, meanwhile, reported that the clashes also claimed the life of a Syrian national, while identifying the Lebanese victims by their initials: Z.A., who was killed, and F.A., who was injured. The wounded man was transferred to a local hospital for treatment.
On Tuesday evening, the Army’s Intelligence Directorate succeeded in freeing Jamal Joujou, who had been kidnapped in the mountainous region of Khraybeh during the clashes. About 14 years old, he is a Syrian national, the son of a Lebanese mother, and resides in Douris.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Lebanese Army said that a separate incident occurred in the Jurd Nahleh area of Baalbeck, when Syrian shepherds attempted to cross into Lebanon without authorization. The army prevented the incursion, prompting an exchange of fire, though no casualties were reported.
Security officials stressed that the region regularly witnesses attempts at smuggling and illegal crossings due to its rugged geography, with the Lebanese Army continuing to patrol and enforce the country’s borders.
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