Shell, 3 Rockets Hit Hermel, Suleiman Urges Qahwaji to Preserve Safety of Lebanese

Three rockets and a shell fired from Syrian territory landed in Lebanon's Hermel district on Sunday, causing material damage only, the state-run National News Agency reported.

A shell and two rockets hit the road leading to the Sahlat al-Ma' area in the town of al-Qasr, NNA said.

In the evening, a rocket fired from Syria landed in the center of the town of Hermel near al-Mabarrat School, the agency reported.

Later on Sunday, NNA said the Grad rocket exploded on the fence of Imam Zein al-Abidin Orphanage which is affiliated with the Mabarrat Charity Association, shattering the glass of its windows.

The orphanage's director Mohammed al-Saeed reassured that no students were wounded "because the administration had moved them to the orphanage's theater, which is like a bomb shelter, when the shelling of the area resumed at noon."

Saeed noted that "450 students aged 4-15 years live at the orphanage."

Meanwhile, Free Syrian Army chief of staff Selim Idriss denied that the FSA and the jihadist al-Nusra Front had issued a joint statement threatening to move the battle into Lebanon, as reported by several media outlets.

The latest assaults, prompted President Michel Suleiman to issue a statement, saying the rocket attacks and shelling on Lebanon did not guarantee democratic rights.

He said Lebanon was already suffering from the burden of Syrian refugees and that the authorities were committed to controlling the border as called for by the Baabda Declaration

His remarks came as he asked Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji to take the appropriate measures to preserve the safety of the Lebanese.

Most shells in the past two years were launched from regime-held areas, but anti-Assad rebels last week claimed firing into Hermel's countryside, threatening further attacks if Hizbullah did not stop fighting the insurgency.

Several shells landed in al-Qasr and neighboring villages on Saturday. They triggered panic and residents rushed to take cover indoors as shops in Hermel closed.

Last week, two Lebanese were killed in similar attacks.

Sunday's assaults on Hermel came as troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad made new advances on the rebel stronghold town of Qusayr near the border with Lebanon, reports said.

"Loyalist troops backed by Hizbullah have taken control of important villages near Qusayr," said Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Qusayr-based activist Hadi al-Abdallah told Agence France Presse that Hizbullah fighters were instrumental to the Syrian army's advance.

"The only reason why the regime is advancing in the Qusayr area is because of Hizbullah's troops. Hizbullah fighters advance on the ground, while the (Syrian) air force gives them cover," Abdallah said via the Internet.

Among the flashpoint villages were Radwaniyeh, seized on Saturday, Burhaniyeh and Tal al-Nabi Mando, which is strategic because it lies on a hilltop and overlooks rebel-held areas.

The Syrian army meanwhile secured the road linking the Lebanese-Syrian border along the Orontes river to the west of Qusayr.

The fighting has left dozens of people dead this week.