Border clashes prompt Shia clans to leave Syria for Lebanon

After days of clashes with Syrian forces in the border region, Shiite clans have announced their withdrawal from Syria into Lebanon. This incident highlights the complexity and instability of the situation in the Lebanese-Syrian border area, further exacerbating existing tensions.

The Syrian Interim Government, largely composed of members of the former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a "broad operation" on Thursday in the Syrian border village of Hweik. This area is allegedly part of a smuggling route used by Hezbollah, a Lebanese movement that supports the ousted Syrian government. The area is primarily inhabited by members of the Zaiter and Jaafar clans, who have both Lebanese and Syrian members.

These clans engaged in fierce clashes with Syrian forces, who claimed they were combating weapons and drug smuggling activities. According to the Lebanese newspaper L'Orient Today, the clans involved in the clashes included the Zaiter, Jaafar, Noun, Jamal, and Rachini families, Lebanese Shiite families who have lived in the border region for generations. These longstanding ties have made the border region a complex mix of interests and loyalties.

A member of the Jaafar clan stated in a statement: "In order to avoid any friction, we withdrew our members to Lebanese territory, displacing them, but this did not help us, as our towns inside Lebanon were attacked with heavy weapons." Over the past few days, attacks have struck Lebanese territory, particularly in the northeastern Hermel region, resulting in several deaths, including at least one Syrian refugee.

The clans in the northern Bekaa Valley of Lebanon initially expressed "disappointment" at the Lebanese government's "complete and unwarranted abandonment," which they claimed prompted them to defend the nation themselves. On Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with Syrian Interim President Ahmed Shala, and the two leaders agreed to "coordinate efforts to control the situation and prevent attacks on civilians."

The Lebanese army temporarily restored calm on Saturday, although gunfire resumed with less intensity. The Lebanese army stated that Aoun had ordered the deployment of military units on the northern and eastern borders "in response to the sources of fire emanating from Syrian territory." "In light of the recent clashes, these forces began to respond with appropriate weapons, during which several areas in Lebanon were subjected to shelling and gunfire."

The situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border has been plagued by sporadic clashes and bureaucratic hurdles since former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stepped down on December 8. In the initial weeks following Assad's departure, Syrian militants clashed with Lebanese forces at several points along the porous border between the two countries, raising concerns about regional stability.

In response to the instability, the new Syrian authorities restricted the entry of Lebanese citizens into Syria unless they held a residency permit, were married to a Syrian, or obtained special permission. These regulations were slightly eased in January, allowing Lebanese workers, students, medical patients, and journalists to obtain permits if they had the correct documentation. Previously, Lebanese citizens could freely enter Syria by simply presenting their national identification card, without the need for a visa or passport.