TUNIS, March 17. /TASS/. Forces of Syria’s new government have taken control of the settlement of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali, located south of the city of Homs and on the border with Lebanon, the Al Hadath television reported citing the military.
According to the report, Syrian troops drove away members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement who "shelled residential districts next to the border."
Syria’s security forces said they had drafted "a complex plan to take the Lebanese border under control."
The situation on the Syrian-Lebanese border escalated when a Syrian special forces unit mistakenly entered Lebanon on March 16, coming under attack by local tribal militiamen linked to Hezbollah, the Al Nahar newspaper wrote. As a result, three Syrian troops were killed. A source in the Syrian Interior Ministry provided a different version of the incident, accusing Hezbollah members of allegedly crossing the border into Syria, kidnapping and killing three security officers. The Hezbollah press service issued a statement denying involvement in the events taking place on the Lebanon-Syria border.
According to Al Hadath, Syrian troops lost at least six members in border skirmishes. Besides, according to Al Watan, two civilians were killed and two journalists were wounded in clashes on the Syrian side. Also, a child was killed and four civilians were wounded on the Lebanese territory.