Nine Killed, Nine Wounded in Syrian Airstrike near Arsal
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Nine Syrians were killed and nine wounded on Saturday in Syrian regime airstrikes near the Bekaa town of Arsal, reported the National News Agency.
It said that the airstrikes targeted Syrian refugee gatherings in the forestland between Ras Baalbek and Arsal.
The wounded, including women and children, have since been taken to Universal Hospital in Baalbek for treatment.
Meanwhile, a Lebanese military source told Agence France Presse that the bodies of six Syrians killed near the border with Lebanon were transported into the country on Saturday, along with nine injured people.
The source could not confirm the cause of the casualties in Syria, but an injured woman told an AFP photographer that the Syrian air force had carried out a strike.
"Six bodies and nine injured people were brought into Lebanon at around 1:30 pm (1030 GMT) on a pick-up truck," the source said on condition of anonymity.
"They crossed the border at the Tufail crossing" in eastern Lebanon, he said.
An injured woman in her early 30s, speaking also on condition of anonymity, said: "We were targeted by an air strike while we were making our way from Syria to Lebanon."
At least two children were among the injured, the photographer said.
Several of them were taken to Arsal for treatment, while others were transported to nearby Baalbek, AFP said.
Arsal, which lies 12 kilometers from the border with Syria, has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter Syria, while also serving as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict.
It has repeatedly come under shelling from Syria.
The last air raid in Arsal took place in June, with President Michel Suleiman urging Syria to respect Lebanon's sovereignty.
Other border areas in the north and east have also been struck by frequent cross-border shelling and clashes, while the Syrian regime has told Lebanon to better control its porous border to prevent the smuggling of fighters and arms.
The repeated violations prompted Suleiman to file a memorandum to the United Nations and Arab League.
Lebanon is sharply divided over the war in Syria and Arsal is a particular flashpoint as refugees from the uprising and fighters and smugglers hostile to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad traverse the border.
03 August 2013, 15:03
39
Yalla ya shurafa2, ya âshraf el nès înto, protect our country from those who attack it. Lowlife hypocritical Syrio-Iranian invaders.
03 August 2013, 18:35
34
They don't defend, they attack.
In July 2006 they attacked Israeli soldiers in Israel
In 2012/13 they attacked Syrian rebels in Syria
In June 2013 they attacked Assir in Abra Cadabra.
03 August 2013, 16:00
47
We need patriot missiles interceptors in Lebanon.
Hezbollah is burying itself day after day. Allahû Akbar!
;-)
03 August 2013, 17:37
00
Thank you Syria for bombing this hell hole. Isn't this the town that captured Lebanese soldiers and mutilated their bodies? Alarabia referred to the victims as "Syrian immigrants" but I think we know better.
03 August 2013, 18:57
00
near arsal means inside syria, but then how would the M14 k9's be induced into barking like they are now?
03 August 2013, 19:01
00
Thanks to Syria for bombing this hell hole. There are the very people who captured Lebanese soldiers and mutilated their bodies.
And please stop referring to terrorists as immigrants. We know better.
03 August 2013, 19:30
15
Do not mention them in the same sentence please. It is like wearing a nice/clean shirt (LAF) with a filthy dirty underwear (HA).
03 August 2013, 23:29
02
To paraphrase the latest speech of the hizb al shaitan chief's, , it is not Israel that is the cancer in the region, it is rather hizb al chaitain and the criminal regime in syria who are the desease , they are the enemies of peace and harmony and prosperity of our beloved lebanon
Hiz al shaitan is compeling our youth to emigrate looking for a better future, it is better to live in -50 degrees temperature than to endure that iranian militia on our lebanese shores
Go back to hell ya nasrallah
04 August 2013, 05:12
03
Get this into your head, HA is funded and on the payroll of an external non Lebanese source called Iran, HA will never abide by the Leb state orders because of the former reason. Other fanatics recently arrived to Lebanon and were formed due to the former reason that weakened the Leb state. No HA = No Al-Qaida = No Militias.
04 August 2013, 06:39
01
Doesn't Lebanon have a duty to protect refugee on its territory?
04 August 2013, 10:51
00
I like playing what if games....
What if I were prime minster ... Lease south Lebanon out to Isreal for a few years.
ummm....
While Syria is distracted we'll just sneak in and a quick land grab up north capture the coast and new boarder with Turkey, great for trade and real estate.
ummm....
Oh oh my favorite, give up on having a national electricity grid and water grid, sell the copper wires and towers and focus on more important details like banning smoking indoors.
