Damascus: Lebanese Gunmen Fired at Fishermen in Syrian Territorial Waters

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Syrian authorities confirmed on Saturday that forces detained a Lebanese boat smuggling boxes from northern Lebanon into the territorial waters off the Syrian village of Kherabh.

According to SANA, Lebanese gunmen opened fire at the boat while Syrian authorities were allegedly trying to inquire the members about the cargo on the boat.

“Major Ali Younis, an officer at the Directorate General of Ports, warned the infiltrating boat to stop more than once but the crew didn’t go by the orders and threw the boxes into the sea trying to flee back into northern Lebanon,” the official SANA news agency reported.

Media reports said earlier on Saturday that the Syrian authorities seized a Lebanese fishing boat and kidnapped three men aboard from the town of al-Arida, including a 16-year-old boy who was shot and fatally wounded after gunmen opened fire on them.

Younis said “when we tried asking them for identification papers, 5 other Lebanese boats shot at their fishing boat injuring 2 men onboard the infiltrating fishing boat.”

“We towed the fishing boat to the port of the coastal city of Tartus and transferred the injured men to the hospital, while a third man was handed to the competent authorities,” he told SANA.

Younis noted that “the length of the infiltrating boat was 12 meters and width of about 5 meters.”

Meanwhile, Syrian security forces killed three members of a "terrorist group" overnight as they tried to enter the country from neighboring Lebanon, SANA reported.

"The security forces of Syria clashed overnight on Friday with a terrorist group trying to infiltrate the country across the border with Lebanon in the Tal Kalakh area and killed three of them," the agency said.

President Bashar Assad's regime has been rocked by more than 10 months of deadly dissent in fighting that the United Nations estimates has killed more than 5,400 people.

The authorities in Damascus blame "armed terrorist groups" for the trouble.

SourceNaharnet
Comments 11
Default-user-icon 10/13/90 "terrorist" (Guest) 12 years

a "group"? really? three is hardly a group more like a trio. the eternal "truth" of SANA sounds like an IDF report.

Default-user-icon Le PheneChien (Guest) 12 years

Bunch of liars as always and since 1950s, every-time the terrorist regime was upset about any political Lebanese stand, they would either close the borders or shoot innocent border passing citizens. Are you telling me the Syrian Navy is not already inside the Lebanese waters watching every move? They shot the three members of the family driving a car in Akkar last month and here is another one. Are all those AlQaida's Ghosn song? shame on a Government that can't protect its citizen whether it is in Lebanon or Syria.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 12 years

after MP merhabi tansmitted a message from an islamic group that michel sleiman and nagib mikati and kahwaji will be held personally responsible for the life of the three fishermen, baabda reported that after "high contacts" the three lebanese will be released tonight.

Thumb Marc 12 years

The Syrian regime should get into writing soap opera shows... They are good at manufacturing stories.

Default-user-icon Isabell (Guest) 12 years

السلطات السورية قتلت خلال العام المنصرم وحتى هذا العام عددا من اللبنانيين يفوق العدد الذي قتل على يد القوات الاسرائيلية منذ ما قبل التحرير عام ٢٠٠٠ وحتى يومنا هذا. اذا ما استثنينا بالتأكيد الحرب بين اسرائيل وحزب الله عام ٢٠٠٦ والتي يتحمل جزء كبير من المسؤولية عنها الطرف الذي بدأها وهو حزب السلاح. ما يعني اننا كلبناننيين يجب ان نضع نصب أعيننا ان نظام الاسد اشد عدائية لشعب لبنان من أي نظام آخر للأسف 

Default-user-icon Le Phenicien (Guest) 12 years

Cookie_Monster my fellow Shiite brother in Syrian brown nosing , my condolences for 26 April 2005 , like you it was also the worst day in my live . (:

Thumb Chupachups 12 years

i don''t believe what that regeme says

Thumb Chupachups 12 years

regime*

Default-user-icon Le PheneChien (Guest) 12 years

@Cookie_Jarbou3: Being quiet about killing Lebanese citizens is not normal and OK, it might be normal to you because terrorists like you are used to and live on these killings due to insecurity.

Thumb shab 12 years

Clear sign of a desperate goverment. Tick tock

Default-user-icon John Holmes (Guest) 12 years

All they are trying to do really is pull Lebanon into the Syrian quagmire in the hopes that this will help justify their use of absolute force to put down their people. Little do they know that we or without us they are living on borowed time. Unlike during his fathers days, they will not stop until they acheive freedom. The only question here is, will the moderate or radical islam win...!!!!