Syria, Lebanon reach ceasefire agreement to strengthen border coordination

Damascus, March 18 (IANS) Syria and Lebanon reached an agreement to implement a ceasefire along their shared border and enhance military coordination, Syria's defence authorities announced.

The agreement, reached between the defence authorities of both countries, aims to de-escalate tensions and prevent further hostilities in the border region, Xinhua news agency reported.

The announcement on Monday follows a recent escalation between Syria and Hezbollah, after Damascus accused the group of kidnapping and executing three Syrian soldiers near the border -- an allegation Hezbollah has denied. Syria also blamed Hezbollah for a targeted attack on journalists and shelling a water station in western Homs, further fueling tensions.

Earlier in the day, Syria's defence authorities announced the launch of a security operation to clear border villages west of Qusayr, located in the Homs province, targeting Hezbollah positions accused of facilitating smuggling and illicit trade.

According to a military statement quoted by state-run SANA news agency, the military is focusing on expelling Hezbollah fighters from Syrian territories where they have been operating since the previous government's rule.

"Our priority is retaking the Syrian village of Housh al-Sayyid Ali, which has become a Hezbollah stronghold," the statement said, adding that Syrian forces will strike Hezbollah gatherings and movements in the area to support the operation.

According to Lebanese health authorities on Monday, seven people have been killed and 52 others injured over two days of clashes along the Lebanese-Syrian border.

In a statement, Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health, reported that the casualties included a 15-year-old boy. It urged all hospitals, especially those near the affected areas, to admit the wounded immediately.

The Syrian military's latest push signals a growing confrontation with Hezbollah, which had long maintained a presence in strategic border areas.