Five Shells Fired from Syria Hit Border Lebanese Villages

Five shells from Syrian territories landed on Saturday in Lebanese villages along the northeastern border with Syria.

Two shells targeted Sahlat al-Mayy region on the outskirts of the town of al-Qasr in northeast of the Hermel district.

The state-run National News Agency reported that the shelling only caused material damage.

Later, a third shell landed in the center of al-Qasr village, damaging a house, without causing any casualties.

The NNA said that the military cordoned off the area and prevented people from gathering.

Two other shells hit al-Hermel village, the news agency reported.

The two-year long violence in Syria has increasingly spilled over into Lebanon, with cross-border shelling in the north and east.

On Wednesday, Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdul Karim Ali denied that caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour had handed him a letter of protest over the recent cross-border attacks, playing down an attempt to file a complaint with the Arab League.

Top Lebanese leader had decided on Monday to submit to the Arab League a letter of protest condemning the spillover of fire from Syria onto Lebanon.

The officials tasked Mansour with preparing documents and reports drafted by the army on the attacks on border towns and villages and refer them to the Arab League.

Two people were killed and four others wounded when rockets fired from Syria landed in al-Qasr and Hosh al-Sayyed Ali regions in the northeastern Hermel district on Sunday.

The rebels claimed to have fired the shells, blaming Hizbullah for firing from Lebanon and positions inside Syria on rebel-held areas in the strife-torn Qusayr area in Syria, near the border.

However, recent raids on the northeastern town of Arsal and the northern district of Akkar have been likely carried out by Syrian regime troops.

Ali claimed Wednesday that the Syrian regime hasn't bombarded Lebanese territories. “It has only responded to the sources of fire.”

Syrian authorities had threatened to attack Lebanese territories if “terrorists” continue to infiltrate the country from Lebanon.

Lebanese parties are sharply divided over the developments in Syria despite the dissociation policy that was adopted by the state.