Lebanon arrests 2 people for arms smuggling via border with Syria

By Wassim Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) - Lebanese army forces arrested two people accused of smuggling weapons through the border with Syria, the military said on Tuesday.

A military statement said that one person was stopped by an army patrol in the Bekaa region on accusations of smuggling weapons via the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Weapons were seized during the operation, the army said.

Another person was detained when army forces raided several houses in western Bekaa, the statement said.

The army did not provide any details about the party behind the arms smuggling through the border.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian authorities on the report.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, Syria’s new leadership has focused on restoring internal stability and regaining control over its borders, especially with Lebanon.

The urgency for closer cooperation between Syria and Lebanon was heightened after a border incident in mid-March, when Syria’s Defense Ministry accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of kidnapping and killing three of its soldiers, an accusation the group has denied.

The Lebanon-Syria border, which stretches approximately 375 kilometers (233 miles), is known for its complex geography and includes six official land crossings.