HTS shelling on Lebanon kills 7, wounds 36 others
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The Lebanese army responded to the attacks from Syria by launching an airstrike on artillery positions targeting civilians in the area.
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Syrian militants maneuver in the village of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali, located 2 km (1.24 miles) from the Lebanon border, Syria, Monday, March 17, 2025 (AP)
Seven people were killed and 36 others wounded after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched an attack on the Lebanese border town of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali in Hermel District, Baalbek-Hermel Governorate, an Al Mayadeen correspondent reported.
Rocket shells also struck the nearby town of al-Qasr, originating from the countryside of al-Qusayr in Syria. Despite reports suggesting that militants had entered the Lebanese side of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali, an Al Mayadeen correspondent confirmed that these armed groups remained at least 500 meters away from the town.
The Lebanese Army responded by launching an airstrike on artillery positions targeting civilians in the area. The army confirmed in a statement that specialized units were deployed to Hermel after several Lebanese military positions were attacked from inside Syrian territory.
Lebanese forces directed concentrated fire toward the attackers' positions to halt further aggression. The statement added that military reinforcements were in place to strengthen defensive positions and prevent further violations of Lebanese sovereignty. Additionally, communication between the Lebanese military and Syrian authorities is ongoing to restore calm in the border region.
Meanwhile, Syrian media reported that at least five militants were killed in today's clashes along the Syrian-Lebanese border.
Aoun calls for diplomacy
In response to the escalating situation, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun contacted Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, who is currently in Brussels attending the Ninth Conference on Supporting Syria's Future, instructing him to engage with the Syrian delegation to resolve the crisis swiftly.
President Aoun condemned the attacks, stating, “What is happening on our eastern and northeastern borders cannot continue, and we will not accept its continuation.” He further affirmed that he had given direct orders to the Lebanese army to retaliate against the source of the fire.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent in eastern Lebanon reported on Sunday evening that continuous artillery shelling from positions held by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in the countryside of al-Qusayr, Syria, targeted the Lebanese border town of al-Qasr, north of Hermel district.
According to the report, an artillery shell fired by the militant group struck a house in Hawdh al-Assi, near Hosh al-Sayyid Ali, a village along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
One child was martyred and four other individuals were wounded in the bombardment.
Simultaneously, a Lebanese Army reconnaissance drone was seen patrolling the skies over Hermel and the border areas with Syria.
In a related development, the Lebanese Army handed over to the Red Cross, through Syrian authorities, the bodies of three fighters who were found in al-Qasr, according to the correspondent.
