Smuggling-related violence erupts between Lebanon and Syria — The details

Report by Petra Abou Haydar, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

At any moment, without warning, the situation on the Lebanon-Syria border could escalate due to smuggling. What occurred on Sunday between the Lebanese town of Qasr and the Syrian town of Al Qusayr was just a small rehearsal.

Smuggling, especially of oil derivatives, has been ongoing for years. Even with the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, this has not changed, as the economic blockade on Syria has not been fully lifted. 

The only access point to some Syrian areas, particularly Damascus, Homs‎, and the Syrian coast, is Lebanon. Additionally, prices in Lebanon are nearly half as cheap, making it a very profitable business.

However, this is not the main issue. The real story is the conflicts arising from smuggling. Daily, reports emerge of clashes between smugglers from both the Syrian and Lebanese sides. The reasons are well known: theft of goods, whether money or smuggled items, along with associated kidnappings for ransom and other crimes.

On Sunday, the situation escalated. It was no longer just a matter of theft and abductions; it became closer to a small battle. A Syrian truck driver, working for a Lebanese smuggler and carrying smuggled gas, was stopped by a Syrian gang after entering Syria from the Lebanese town of Qasr, located on the northern Bekaa border.

The gang stole the goods, an additional $6,000, and kidnapped the driver.

This angered the smuggler on the Syrian side, as the Lebanese smuggler was supposed to secure the route. The Lebanese smuggler accused the Syrian smuggler of colluding with the gang to kidnap the driver in order to avoid paying for the goods.

Both sides opened fire on each other from their respective borders. Armed men from the Lebanese side of Qasr faced armed men from the Syrian town of Matrabah. The confrontations, which took place about a kilometer apart, involved assault rifles, medium-range weapons, and mortar shells specifically launched from the Syrian side.

Some relatives of the Lebanese smuggler, who are usually based in Matrabah, intervened. In return, Syrian gunmen entered the area and kidnapped a Lebanese woman, a relative of the Lebanese smuggler.

After the escalation, the Lebanese army intervened, with one soldier injured in the clashes. They managed to end the conflict for now after the gunmen from both sides fled. This conflict could easily reoccur at any moment if the border remains uncontrolled and smuggling continues without oversight.