Syrian artillery strikes north Lebanon causing deaths and injuries

The security situation on the borders witnessed a surprising development on the northern and northeastern borders in the region of Wadi Khaled due to a heavy gunfire exchange followed by rocket shelling from the Syrian side.      

Security sources told LBCI between 25 and 30 rockets have struck Akkar since this morning, killing two women and a man and wounding scores more after opposition rebels crossed the border into Lebanon.

The sources added that one of the dead in the town of al-Hisheh is a member of the Hammoud family and is one of the non-naturalized Syrians who live in the region. According to the sources, he was playing with a hand grenade when it detonated.

Residents of the Wadi Khaled region said several mortar bombs started falling on farm buildings 5 to 20 km from the border at around 2 a.m.

In the village of al-Mahatta, a house was destroyed, killing a 16-year-old girl and wounding a two year old and four year old, family members told Reuters. A 25-year-old woman and a man were also killed in nearby villages, residents said.
              
A mortar shell fell near Rajam Issa Mosque.     

A cautious calm prevailed over the region around 5:00 o’clock in the morning. At midday on Saturday villagers reported more explosions.

For its part, the LAF Directorate of Orientation issued a statement stating that at 2 a.m. on Saturday, during armed clashes in Syria, in the region facing the Lebanese town of al-Amayer in Wadi Khaled, a number of rockets struck the above-mentioned town, killing a woman and wounding three persons. The dead and injured were rushed to the “Lady of Peace” Hospital in Qbayyat.

The statement added that LAF intensified its deployment along the border and the army took the necessary field measures to address any breach of the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Sources pointed out that this morning’s shooting took place was between dissidents and the Syrian army, which hit those with missiles after crossing into Lebanon.

The security tension that prevailed during the night raised a state of panic and fear among the residents of the region, and led to the displacement of a great number of people from Wadi Kahled to towns far from the borders.