Syrian Army Deaths Lead to Overnight Clashes Across Syria-Lebanon Border

Latest Developments

Syrian Troops Allegedly Kidnapped: Clashes erupted across the Syria-Lebanon border on March 16 after the Syrian transitional government accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three of its soldiers in Lebanon. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the incident.
Transitional Government Shells Lebanon: In response to the alleged kidnappings, the Syrian Army shelled Lebanese border villages overnight, though most of the fighting had subsided by the morning of March 17. The Lebanese military stated that the cross-border skirmishes centered around the Lebanese town of Qasr, where the three Syrian soldiers were reported to have been killed. It also noted that the Lebanese Army Command was in contact with the “Syrian authorities to maintain security and stability in the border area.”
Lebanese President Responds: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on March 17 that fighting along the northeastern and eastern borders with Syria “cannot go on,” adding that he had “given instructions to the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of the fire.” Lebanon also reportedly handed over the bodies of the three deceased Syrian soldiers to Syrian authorities.

FDD Expert Response

“We don’t know yet if these Syrian soldiers’ death was an accident or an execution. But the response from Damascus is an apt reminder of Syrians’ enduring anger toward Hezbollah, which was fully complicit in the atrocities of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Hezbollah claims to represent Muslims in their struggle against Israel, yet it spent more than a decade killing Syrians on Assad’s behalf.” — David Adesnik, Vice President of Research

“The idea that Iran and its proxies have vanished from Syria is pure fantasy. Tehran is actively fueling instability to claw back its influence, and Syria’s new government faces a tough battle to keep Hezbollah — a weakened but still dangerous force — at bay.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst