Baalbek: At least 20 rockets fired from Syria fell upon Lebanese border regions on Saturday, prompting residents to flee their houses and seek safety, Lebanese police said.
Most of the rockets fell upon the eastern mountain range, near the region of Al Sha’ara. Others landed near Al Nasseriya, Al Nabi Sheet and the outskirts of the town of Brital in the Bekaa valley. All are strongholds of the Lebanese Shiite movement, Hezbollah.
It was the latest spillover from the more than two-year conflict in Lebanon’s larger neighbour, a security source said.
“The rockets were fired from Syrian territory. There were no casualties,” he added.
The area hit lies in the Baalbek area of the Bekaa region, a stronghold of the Hezbollah group, which has backed Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in his efforts to crush the revolt.
In a further sign of the growing tensions, unidentified gunmen opened fire overnight on the Sayeda Khawla tomb, a Shiite religious monument in Baalbek, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
Rockets fired from Syria have repeatedly hit Lebanese territory, striking both Sunni areas that back the uprising and areas loyal to Hezbollah.
Last week, a woman was killed when three mortar rounds fired from Syria struck near the eastern town of Hermel, a Hezbollah bastion in the Bekaa region.
Despite an official position of neutrality, Lebanon has become increasingly embroiled in the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
Hezbollah fighters have been fighting alongside government troops, particularly around the central town of Qusayr near the border, while Sunni communities have sent volunteers to fight alongside the rebels.
The conflict has repeatedly spilled over, with three Lebanese soldiers killed in an attack near the border last week.
Violence in the northern port city of Tripoli, pitting Alawite backers of Al Assad’s regime against Sunni supporters of the uprising, has killed 31 people in recent weeks.
