Weapons smuggling?

Lebanon: Escape route to Syria bombed

The Masnaa border crossing

(Bild: APA/AFP/Hassan JARRAH)

According to Lebanese sources, the most important road link between Lebanon and Syria has been blocked following Israeli air strikes. Over 100,000 people had fled the country from the fighting via this escape route in recent days.

The road to the border crossing, through which thousands of people have recently fled from Lebanon to Syria, has been "interrupted" since an Israeli attack on Friday, said Lebanon's Transport Minister Ali Hamieh.

The Lebanese state news agency also reported that Israeli warplanes had bombed the road to the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa Valley in the east of the country. The road is now closed.

Israel: "Army will not allow weapons smuggling"
Israel accuses the Lebanese Hezbollah militia of using this route to transport weapons from Iran. "The Israeli army will not allow the smuggling of weapons and will not hesitate to act," said Arabic-speaking army spokesman Avichay Adraee in a post on the short message platform X.

Syria borders both Lebanon and Israel and has long been considered a transit country for supplies to Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran. Militias belonging to the so-called Axis of Resistance led by Iran are also active in Syria - as is Hezbollah.

These are also likely to have been targeted by the Israeli air force in recent days. According to Syrian opposition activists, an airstrike on an ammunition depot in the coastal town of Jabla took place on Thursday morning. Jabla is located near the largest Russian airbase in Syria, Hmeimim, close to Latakia. Russian troops and Syrian air defenses repelled the attacks for around 40 minutes. There were heavy explosions in the camp. There was even talk on social media that the Russian military base had also been hit.