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The Lebanese military announced on February 9 that it had launched additional retaliatory strikes in response to artillery fire from Syria.
The announcement came as clashes continued between Syrian government forces -mainly made up of fighters from the now dissolved Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham- and the Lebanese Shiite clans of Zoaiter and Jaafar clans along the borders.
The clashes broke out last week when Syrian government forces launched an operation in the western Homs countryside, which borders the Lebanese governorate of Baalbek-Hermel, to close smuggling routes run by the two clans, which are affiliated with Hezbollah.
Syrian Army’s attacks on Hezbollah positions at the Syria-Lebanon border
In a statement posted on social media network X, the Lebanese military reported repeated shelling of Lebanese border regions, and confirmed its units continued to respond accordingly.
Exceptional security measures are being implemented along the border, including the establishment of monitoring points, patrols, and temporary checkpoints, according to the statement.
The military emphasized that it is closely monitoring the situation and will take appropriate measures as needed.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported earlier that rockets launched from Syria landed in several villages in eastern Lebanon, and two Syrian drones were shot down over the border area. No casualties were reported on either side however.
The previous day, the Guidance Directorate of the Lebanese military announced that units had been deployed along the northern and eastern borders to respond to fire from Syrian territory. The move led to some de-escalation, but the clashes went on.
Hezbollah have stayed out of the clashes so far. However, this could change in the coming weeks if a permanent ceasefire with Israel was established. The group could shift its focus back to Syria to reopen the supply routes it lost with the fall of the Assad regime last December.
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