Syrian troops exchange fire with Lebanese army

17/3/2025 19:13

Syrian troops exchanged fire with Lebanese soldiers and armed groups in northeast Lebanon overnight and into Monday in a new round of clashes along the two countries' border.



Tensions along the mountainous frontier have been high in the months since Islamist rebels toppled Syria's Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Tehran and Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, and installed their own institutions and army.



Late on Sunday, Syria's defence ministry accused Hezbollah of crossing into Syrian territory and kidnapping and killing three members of Syria's new army.



Hezbollah denied any involvement. A Lebanese security source told Reuters the three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory first and were killed by armed members of a tribe in northeastern Lebanon who feared their town was under attack.