The Al-Haj Hassan tribe stated in a strongly-worded declaration: “This crime is not the first in the series of assaults carried out by Syrian militants on a peaceful Lebanese town, despite the presence of the Lebanese army within it, and without providing protection for its citizens,” according to Lebanese media reports.
The statement, which was issued following an extensive meeting of the tribe on Sunday, emphasized that the situation has reached a dangerous stage, and the residents of the area, who have long relied on wisdom and the state, are no longer able to tolerate further procrastination and neglect.
While condemning the “criminal acts committed by Syrian militants without deterrence,” the statement held the “official Syrian side responsible for these criminal acts.” It also denounced the “continued inaction of the Lebanese government, which seems incapable of defending its people,” affirming the “rejection of attempts to link security events with smuggling,” and calling for “serious border control.”
The Lebanese-Syrian border is experiencing a state of security tension amid reports of mutual military alerts and fears of attempts by extremist militants inside Syria to kidnap Lebanese army members to exchange them for prisoners in Lebanon.
The Syrian-Lebanese border witnessed tensions last March after the ministry announced the killing and injuring of a number of its members following an ambush, which it said was executed by “Hezbollah militants.” Clashes then erupted between the Syrian and Lebanese armies for several days before the defense ministries of both countries announced reaching an agreement to cease the clashes.
In the same month, Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting, and an agreement was signed, during which both sides emphasized the importance of demarcating the borders between the two countries.
