Lebanese military patrol attacked near Syrian border
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Early in December, a group of militants attempted to penetrate the territory of a Lebanese army bastion in the Rashaya area before being discovered and fleeing.
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Lebanese Army soldiers deploy at the Lebanese side of the Lebanese-Israeli border in the southern village of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, on May 15, 2021. (AP)
A Lebanese military patrol was ambushed by a gang of militants from Syrian territory, leaving one soldier injured, Lebanon's armed forces reported Thursday.
According to the statement, "During the [Lebanese army's] patrol in the Wadi Aswad area near the town of Yanta-Rashaya on the Syrian-Lebanese border, a group of unknown militants opened fire on the patrol from Syrian territory. One serviceman was injured in the clash. He was taken to hospital."
According to the Lebanese army, more personnel were dispatched to the scene of the event, and security measures were implemented.
This is not the first occasion that Lebanese border guards have been targeted near the Syrian border since the former Syrian president was ousted.
Early in December, a group of militants attempted to penetrate the territory of a Lebanese army bastion in the Rashaya area, but were discovered and fled deep into Syrian territory after receiving warning fire from Lebanese forces.
Lebanese PM says Syrian refugees should return home after Assad's fall
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Saturday for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland following the political shift in Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.
At a political festival in Rome, Mikati emphasized that "the consequences of the Syrian war made Lebanon home to the largest number of refugees per capita, with one-third of our population comprising of Syrian refugees."
"The strain on our resources has been substantial, worsening existing economic trouble and creating fierce competition for jobs and services," he said.
The Lebanese premier pointed out that "today, and after the political transformation in Syria, the best resolution to this issue is for Syrians to go back to their homeland."
Lebanese authorities report that the country, with a population of 5.8 million, is currently home to approximately two million Syrian refugees, including over 800,000 registered with the United Nations—marking the highest number of refugees per capita globally.
Many Syrians fled their homeland following the outbreak of war on the country in 2011.
