Nighttime river crossing ends in disaster on Lebanon-Syria border — details

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

A humanitarian tragedy occurred late Saturday at the Nahr al-Kabir, the river separating Lebanon and Syria.

On the Aboudieh–Hekr Janine line, several Syrians went missing while attempting to cross the river illegally. According to survivors who spoke to the Syrian state news agency SANA, a group of 11 people tried to cross from Syria into Lebanon, but only four survived.

At that location, an LBCI camera recorded a Syrian Civil Defense team conducting a survey along the Aboudieh–Hekr Janine line in search of any trace of the missing, but without success. The river’s water level was high, the current strong, and the area on the Syrian side is mined.

Along the dirt path toward the river, traces of shoes and food bags testify to human smuggling through these rugged routes.

The nighttime incident, confirmed by the Syrian Civil Defense, contradicts a daytime video circulating online that claimed Lebanese army personnel forcibly returned Syrians. Offering options to go forward or return is not part of army procedures, which follow clear guidelines to ensure safe returns. Late Saturday, the army facilitated the safe return of 24 people who had entered Lebanon illegally.

The Abou Arab crossing in Hekr Janine is the only unofficial point where the army allows river crossings toward Syria. It facilitates the return of Syrians and ensures they reach Syrian territory safely. Late Saturday, however, the river level was very high and submerged the crossing rock. 

The army redirected the group to a safer crossing in al-Buqei’a, where the LBCI camera recorded a lower water level. The group crossed safely under the supervision of the Lebanese army, with the Syrian army visible on the opposite side of the border.