Child killed as Syria’s HTS militants shell civilians in eastern Lebanon

A child has been killed and four other civilians injured as militants aligned with Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime launched a volley of rockets at a residential neighborhood in Lebanon’s eastern province of Baalbek-Hermel.

Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that rockets fired from Syrian territory had landed in the Lebanese village of Qasr near the border.

The Lebanese al-Mayadeen television news channel said a rocket launched by HTS militants struck a house in Hawdh al-Assi district.

A child was killed and four other individuals were wounded in the shelling.

This was followed by a Lebanese Army reconnaissance drone patrolling the skies over the Hermel district and border areas near Syria.

A Lebanese security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said tensions began after three Syrian militants crossed into Lebanese territory at the village of Qasr, where they were shot at by local gunmen.

The source said the reason why they entered was unknown.

Syria’s HTS administration on Sunday accused Lebanon's Hezbollah of abducting three soldiers to Lebanon and killing them there. The resistance movement roundly dismissed the allegation.

Hezbollah denies involvement in border clashes

Hezbollah in a statement denied any involvement in clashes with HTS forces or in Syrian territory.

The group said it “categorically denies any connection to the events taking place today on the Lebanese-Syrian border.”

It added that it “reaffirms its previous announcements that Hezbollah has no relation to any events within Syrian territory.”

The Lebanese National News Agency later reported that the bodies of three Syrian militants had been handed over to Syria via the Lebanese Red Cross.

Last month, more than 10 people were injured after shelling from Syria’s Qusayr countryside targeted border towns in Lebanon’s Hermel region.

Amid rising tensions, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syria’s de facto leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani agreed in a phone call on Friday to coordinate efforts to stabilize the border and prevent attacks on civilians.

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