Lebanese army and Syrian forces clash on northeastern border

The Lebanese army has engaged in clashes with Syrian troops on Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria, in the latest round of fighting that started on Sunday night.

The new Syrian government, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, accused Lebanese group Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three members of Syria's security forces.

Different accounts of the events that unfolded on Sunday night have emerged from both sides.

Hezbollah has denied any involvement, while a Lebanese security source told Reuters that three Syrian soldiers initially crossed into Lebanese territory and were subsequently killed by armed members of a tribe in northeastern Lebanon. The tribe reportedly feared their town was under attack.

Syrian forces shelled Lebanese towns overnight in retaliation for the deaths, causing some Lebanese residents to flee.

The Lebanese military said it returned the bodies of the three Syrians to their country and that it had exchanged fire with forces from Syrian territory. Additionally, a large number of Lebanese soldiers have been deployed to the border region.

“What is happening on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot continue, and we will not accept its continuation,” said Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday.

“I have given instructions to the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire.”

The Lebanese army has since been engaged in heavy fighting near the northeastern Lebanese town of Hosh al-Sayyed Ali.

Lebanon’s border with Syria has been a tense scene of occasional clashes since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-time ally of Hezbollah.

While both Aoun and Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Shara have expressed desire to strengthen ties between the two countries, these clashes, coupled with the new Syrian government's hostility toward Hezbollah, continue to pose significant challenges.