Lebanese army closes ‘illegal’ crossings with Syria

BEIRUT

The Lebanese army said Thursday that it had closed several “illegal” crossings with Syria in the northern Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon, as part of efforts to combat smuggling.

A military statement said the “illegal” crossings were shut in the areas of Martisa and Mikyal Farah in northern Bekaa.

The statement did not provide further details about the crossings. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian side.

The Lebanese-Syrian border is geographically intertwined, consisting of mountains, valleys and plains without clearly marked boundary signs separating the two countries.

This overlap and the rugged terrain have facilitated the establishment of illegal crossings used by smugglers and drug traffickers to move goods between the two countries.

In recent months, however, authorities in both countries have stepped up efforts to tighten border control and curb infiltration and various forms of smuggling, particularly drug trafficking.

Lebanon and Syria are linked by six official land border crossings along a stretch of approximately 375 kilometers (233 miles).

Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul