Militants from Syria’s HTS reportedly infiltrate a Lebanese town, looting residential properties
Reports indicate that militants affiliated with Syria's ruling group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have infiltrated sections of a Lebanese town, causing extensive damage to residences. This incursion follows intense shelling of Lebanon's border regions, which resulted in multiple fatalities and numerous injuries.
According to a report by the Arabic-language network al-Ahad TV on Tuesday, militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have reportedly taken control of sections of the Lebanese town of Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali, following the announcement of a ceasefire on Monday.
According to reports, the Lebanese Army has not yet advanced into the section of the town currently occupied by militants from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Seven people have been confirmed dead and 36 others injured following an assault by militants on Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali in Hermel District, situated in Lebanon’s eastern Baalbek-Hermel province, according to a report by al-Ahad on Monday.
The report further indicated that rocket projectiles, fired from the rural areas surrounding al-Qusayr in Syria, also impacted the neighboring town of al-Qasr.
In a development on Tuesday, the Lebanese-based al-Mayadeen television channel reported that militants from the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group had seized control of a five-kilometer area in a border town and were looting residential properties.
Lebanese and Syrian defense authorities reached a ceasefire agreement late on Monday, aiming to halt two days of hostilities along their shared border. The conflict was initiated after Damascus accused the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement of entering Syrian territory on Saturday and being responsible for the abduction and killing of three Syrian soldiers.
In a statement released on Sunday, Hezbollah categorically rejected accusations made by the administration led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria.
According to a report by the Lebanese National News Agency, the Lebanese Red Cross has facilitated the transfer of the remains of three Syrian militants back to Syria.
In the previous month, an artillery attack originating from the Qusayr countryside in Syria resulted in injuries to over ten individuals in Lebanon’s Hermel region, as cross-border tensions escalated.
According to multiple reports, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militants have been targeting residential homes in the border regions of Lebanon, rather than focusing their attacks on Hezbollah installations. Additionally, Lebanese tribal groups are actively resisting the advancement of HTS militants in the area.
