Syria imposes restrictions on the entry of Lebanese into its territory

The new authorities in Syria imposed restrictions on the entry of Lebanese into its territory, according to what two security sources told Agence France-Presse on Friday, while a military source indicated that the move came as a result of skirmishes between the Lebanese army and Syrian militants.

The Lebanese Army announced in a statement that its force was working to close an “illegitimate crossing” with Syria in eastern Lebanon, and came under fire from Syrian militants, speaking of a “clash between the two sides” and that one of its soldiers was injured.

A Lebanese Public Security official supervising the border crossings told AFP that the agency had not been informed of any “new action from the Syrian side,” but that it was “surprised by the closure of the border” to the Lebanese.

The security official spoke to “Akhbar” of imposing restrictions on the entry of the Lebanese according to the principle of “reciprocity, that is, the same conditions that the Lebanese impose on the Syrians in terms of possessing residence or hotel reservations.”

Another security source at the Masnaa crossing, which is the main border point between the two countries, told AFP, “It appears that there are new procedures on the Syrian side” that only allow Lebanese who hold residency or permission to enter Syria to cross.

For his part, a military source suggested that the measure was a protest step after “skirmishes between the Lebanese army and Syrian armed elements on the border, where the army arrested armed elements and then released them.”