U.S. Rejects Attacks from Syrian Side of Border against Lebanon

The United States on Monday condemned the deadly barrage of rockets fired by Syrian rebels into the Lebanese region of Hermel, which left two people dead and five others wounded on Sunday.

The U.S. State Department said it condemns attacks against Lebanese territory, whichever side they may come from.

Two more rockets fired from Syria landed on a border town in the Bekaa valley on Monday, prompting President Michel Suleiman to call for a security meeting which sought Arab League assistance in helping Lebanon confront the attacks.

Media reports said that a rocket landed on Monday morning on the outskirts of Sahlat al-Ma' in the town of al-Qasr that lies in northeast Lebanon's Hermel district.

A second rocket hit al-Qasr at 11:00 am only 40 minutes after the first attack.

No injuries were reported.

But the assault came after two rockets fired from Syria on Sunday exploded in al-Qasr, killing Ali Hasan Qataya. Two more rockets landed in a nearby village of Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali, killing 13-year-old Abbas Kheireddine and damaging two homes.

Both victims were laid to rest on Monday amid widespread anger and mourning in Hermel.

The deaths are not the first time that Lebanese citizens have been killed by cross-border fire coming from Syria. In February, at least one Lebanese man was killed by gunfire from the Syrian side of the border.

Since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011, there have been numerous deadly clashes along the northern and eastern borders of Lebanon, usually between the Syrian army and armed Syrian or Lebanese groups backing the uprising.