Lebanon, Syria agree to ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes

Lebanon's Defence Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu Qasra have reached an agreement on a ceasefire following two days of deadly cross-border clashes that resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals.

The clashes, which occurred along the volatile border between the two nations, led to the death of three soldiers from Syria's new army and seven Lebanese nationals. The Syrian defence ministry confirmed the fatalities, while Lebanon's health ministry reported that 52 individuals were wounded on the Lebanese side, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The Lebanese and Syrian defence ministers emphasized the importance of maintaining communication between the army intelligence directorates to prevent further escalation along the border, which has become a flashpoint in recent months.

The border region, particularly in the mountainous areas, has been a source of heightened tension since the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by opposition factions three months ago. Assad, a close ally of Iran and the Hezbollah militia, was replaced by opposition forces who established their own army and institutions. This power shift has contributed to the instability along the Lebanese-Syrian frontier.

In addition to the defence ministers' agreement, Lebanon’s Foreign Affairs Minister Youssef Raji held talks with Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Brussels. The two ministers agreed to maintain ongoing communication to address the cross-border issues and foster stability in the region.

Late on March 9, the Syrian defence ministry accused Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, of crossing into Syrian territory and kidnapping and killing three soldiers from Syria's new army. Hezbollah, however, denied any involvement in the incident. A Lebanese security source provided a different account, stating that the three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese territory first and were killed by armed members of a local tribe in northeastern Lebanon, who feared their town was under attack.

In retaliation, Syrian forces reportedly shelled Lebanese border towns overnight, prompting civilians in the town of Al-Qasr, located less than a kilometer from the border, to flee further inland to escape the bombardment.

On March 10, Lebanon's army announced that it had handed over the bodies of the three Syrian soldiers to Syrian authorities. The Lebanese army also stated that it had responded to gunfire from Syrian territory and dispatched reinforcements to the border area.

Meanwhile, Syrian forces deployed a convoy of troops and several tanks to reinforce their positions along the border. Reports from the region indicated that Syrian soldiers fired shots into the air as they moved through border towns. Maher Ziwani, the head of a Syrian army division, confirmed that large reinforcements had been sent to the Syrian-Lebanese border in an effort to prevent further clashes.

The situation remains tense, and both sides are focused on maintaining stability along the border in the wake of the ceasefire agreement.

By Vafa Guliyeva