Syria: Jolani’s Fighters In Deadly Clash With Lebanese Army On Border

Via The Cradle

Intense clashes erupted on the Syrian–Lebanese border late on Syrian after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led (HTS) Syrian military forces carried out heavy shelling and launched rockets on Lebanese border towns. 

Lebanese army troops responded to the sources of fire. Al Mayadeen reported early on Sunday that “the Bekaa valley has been under continuous shelling for three hours with rockets and artillery coming from Syrian territory.”

The HTS-led Syrian army also launched drones into Lebanese territory in recent hours. Several rockets launched from the Qusayr countryside hit the Lebanese border town of Qasr. The shelling is ongoing, and civilian casualties have been reported on the Lebanese side, including at least one child.

Citing a military source, Al Jazeera reported that eight members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense (HTS) were killed in the clashes.

The fighting began several hours after three HTS fighters were found dead inside Lebanese territory and were handed over to Damascus by Lebanon’s Armed Forces (LAF) and the Red Cross. 

The Syrian Defense Ministry’s media office told Syrian state media outlet SANA that the “Hezbollah militia” kidnapped the three fighters on the border, took them to Lebanese territory, and “executed them on the spot.” Other reports say the three were already in Lebanese territory when they were killed.

Lebanese news outlet Annahar reported on Monday that two Lebanese youths were found dead in the Matraba area near the border. They were reportedly kidnapped from their homes inside Lebanon by Syrian security forces and killed.

Syrian authorities say they are fighting Hezbollah on the border, despite the Lebanese resistance movement issuing a statement categorically denying its involvement in any of the recent events. 

A Syrian photographer and journalist were injured by retaliatory rocket fire launched from Lebanon on Sunday. 

“Lebanese villages and towns in the region were subjected to shelling from Syrian territory. Military units responded to the sources of fire with appropriate weapons, reinforced their deployment, and maintained security. Contacts continue between the army command and the Syrian authorities to maintain security and stability in the border area,” the LAF announced on Monday morning. The Syrian army has sent reinforcements to the Lebanese border. 

Watch: HTS (Jolani’s militants) firing at Hezbollah in Lebanon…

HTS (Jolani’s people) now firing at Hezbollah in Lebanon https://t.co/vGnkWVvx9d pic.twitter.com/8Irsnb8pWX

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 16, 2025

The renewed fighting comes over one month after heavy clashes erupted in early February between Syrian military forces and Lebanese tribesmen. At the time, Syrian forces deployed troops to set up checkpoints in what they said was an attempt to thwart smuggling. 

After agreeing with the LAF, the tribes withdrew from the border, and the fighting came to an end.