Lebanese Army retaliates against cross-border fire from Syria amid escalation

Shafaq News/ The Lebanese army said on Sunday it had responded to cross-border fire from Syria after Lebanese border areas came under shelling and gunfire, marking an escalation in tensions gripping the region for days.

"Under the directives of President Joseph Aoun, the army has ordered its units deployed along the northern and eastern borders to respond to the sources of fire originating from Syrian territory and targeting Lebanese lands," the military said in a statement on X.

The army added that its forces had "begun retaliating with appropriate weapons following recent clashes, during which several Lebanese areas were subjected to shelling and gunfire."

بناءً على توجيهات رئيس الجمهورية العماد جوزاف عون، أصدرت قيادة الجيش الأوامر للوحدات العسكرية المنتشرة على الحدود الشمالية والشرقية بالرد على مصادر النيران التي تُطلَق من الأراضي السورية وتستهدف الأراضي اللبنانية. وقد باشرت هذه الوحدات بالرد بالأسلحة المناسبة، وذلك على خلفية… pic.twitter.com/8Ys9lDQmh0

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) February 8, 2025

The statement did not specify the source of the attacks, but Lebanon’s official news agency reported earlier that towns in the northeastern border province of Hermel were hit by gunfire from the Syrian side on Saturday, injuring eight people who were taken to hospitals.

On Friday, Lebanon’s presidency announced that Aoun had spoken with Syria’s interim president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, and that both leaders had "agreed to coordinate efforts to stabilize the Lebanese-Syrian border and prevent harm to civilians."

The escalation follows Syria’s announcement of a security operation in the Homs countryside aimed at "shutting down smuggling routes for weapons and contraband." Syrian authorities said the campaign had led to "clashes between border security forces and wanted individuals."

Lebanon and Syria share a 375-km (233-mile) border, much of which remains undefined. The northeastern frontier, particularly the area between Lebanon’s Hermel and Syria’s Qusayr, has long been a flashpoint due to cross-border tribal ties and smuggling networks.

In recent months, Syrian authorities have tightened security along the border in an effort to curb smuggling and reassert control over villages with Lebanese populations. The crackdown has led to repeated clashes with local armed groups, with both sides trading blame for the escalating violence.