Lebanese army launches retaliatory strikes in response to artillery fire from Syria

The army reported repeated shelling of Lebanese border regions and confirmed its units continued to respond accordingly

Beirut: The Lebanese army announced that it had launched retaliatory strikes in response to artillery fire from Syria.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the army reported repeated shelling of Lebanese border regions on Sunday, and confirmed its units continued to respond accordingly, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Exceptional security measures are being implemented along the border, including the establishment of monitoring points, patrols, and temporary checkpoints, according to the statement.

The army emphasised that it is closely monitoring the situation and will take appropriate measures as needed. On Saturday, the Lebanese army’s Guidance Directorate announced that military units had been deployed along the northern and eastern borders to respond to fire from Syrian territory.

Meanwhile, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday that rockets launched from Syria landed in several villages in eastern Lebanon, and two Syrian drones were shot down over the border area.

Clashes between Lebanese clans and armed groups near Hermel, close to the Lebanese-Syrian border, have resulted in casualties over the past few days, according to the NNA. Earlier the Lebanese army said that it had ordered troops deployed along the Syrian border to retaliate against fire originating from Syrian territory.

The army, in a statement, said it had acted on directives from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, ordering military units along the northern and eastern borders to respond to sources of fire coming from Syrian territory and targeting Lebanese areas. The statement added that units had begun responding with “appropriate weapons” following recent clashes that saw several Lebanese areas shelled and fired upon.