BEIRUT: The Lebanese army said Thursday it had prevented the entry of around 1,200 Syrian migrants this week, at a time both countries are beset by painful economic woes.
Millions of Syrians have already fled abroad since their country’s civil war broke out in 2011 following the government’s repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests.
Most of them cross the border into Lebanon, which the United Nations says hosts the largest number of refugees per capital in the world.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that it had “prevented around 1,200 Syrians from crossing the Lebanese-Syrian border in the past week.”
It had announced on August 23 that it turned back 700 Syrians attempting to enter the eastern Mediterranean country illegally.
“The Syrian-Lebanese border is porous and the number of soldiers mobilized is not enough,” a security official told AFP.
“Most Syrians come to Lebanon in the hope of finding work, given the unprecedented deterioration in living conditions in their country,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The Syrian government’s repression of demonstrations in 2011 escalated into a civil war that killed more than 500,000 people, ravaged the country’s economy and drove millions into exile.
In the early years of the conflict, Lebanon welcomed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, before banning them from its territory in early 2015.
Since then, many Syrians have used smugglers to cross the border and seek a better life in Lebanon or beyond.
Officials in Lebanon say Syrians have again been pushed to flee at a time of protests over dire living conditions, after the government in Damascus scrapped fuel subsidies.
Lebanon, which has been mired in a crippling economic crisis for years, says it hosts nearly two million Syrians. The United Nation has registered almost 830,000 of them.
Lebanon army says blocked entry of 1,200 Syrian migrants
https://arab.news/8sdgj
Lebanon army says blocked entry of 1,200 Syrian migrants
- Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capital in the world
Military coalition in Yemen condemns attack on commander’s convoy
- Al-Maliki also said the coalition is committed to supporting Yemeni security efforts and pursuing those involved in the attack and bringing them to justice
RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen condemned on Wednesday an attack that targeted the convoy of a senior commander.
The attack in the Jaoula area of Lahj governorate targeted vehicles under the command of Brigadier General Hamdi Shukri, who heads the second division of the Giants Forces.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said there were numerous deaths injuries and called the ambush “a criminal act that is contrary to all human and moral values.”
He said the coalition, which includes Saudi Arabia, will continue coordinating with the relevant authorities to ensure the security of citizens and maintain stability, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He called for people to work with the Yemeni government and military authorities to confront any sabotage attempts or terrorist operations targeting the security and stability of liberated governorates.
Al-Maliki also said the coalition is committed to supporting Yemeni security efforts and pursuing those involved in the attack and bringing them to justice.
