TURKEY: Syrian opposition members say President Assad's troops crossed into Lebanon in their pursuit of rebels, accusing the Lebanese army of inaction

Record ID: 276344

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrian opposition members say President Assad's troops crossed into Lebanon in their pursuit of rebels, accusing the Lebanese army of inaction
  • Date: 28th March 2012
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (MARCH 27, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE HOTEL WHERE OPPOSITION MEETING IS TAKING PLACE SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER ADIB SHISHAKLI ARRIVING FOR INTERVIEW SOUNDBITE (English) SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBER, ADIB SHISHAKLI, SAYING: "This regime has absolutely no respect to borders of any neighbouring countries and this is expected. He is following th
  • Embargoed: 12th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4S9GXTH5PDJ96AVFBOZID6H8E
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition members on Tuesday (March 27) said President Bashar al-Assad's troops pursuing rebels had crossed the border into Lebanon.
    Opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) member Adib Shishakli said Assad's regime had no respect for the borders of neighbouring countries.
    "He is following the protesters all over to the border of Turkey, to the border of Lebanon" said Shishakli.
    Shishakli accused Lebanon's army of inaction.
    "Even today, they crossed the border into Lebanon and I am sorry to hear that the Lebanese army is letting them do so, " Shishakli told Reuters.
    The Representative of Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Moulham Droubi, called on the international community to move fast to stop the regime.
    "That regime is not a legitimate regime. They can do anything actually towards their neighbours, any neighbour. And I am requesting the international community to move fast in order to stop that regime and to help the Syrians" said Droubi.
    Syrian troops advanced into north Lebanon, destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels holed up there, residents said.
    They said Syrian forces crossed a few hundred meters into Lebanese territory. A security source in Beirut said clashes had taken place near the poorly marked border but did not confirm Syrian troops had entered Lebanon.
    Shells hit north Lebanon last week and residents say Syrian troops have briefly crossed the frontier while pursuing fleeing rebels in recent months.
    A resident said that the soldiers, some travelling in armoured personnel vehicles, fired rocket-propelled grenades and exchanged heavy machine-gun fire with rebels. He said soldiers destroyed one house with a bulldozer.
    The Lebanese army blocked off the area where hundreds of Syrian refugees -- some of them active members of the rebel Free Syrian Army -- have fled a year-long revolt by mostly Sunni Muslim Syrians against Assad, a member of his country's Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
    Residents said the Syrian troops remained 200-500 metres inside Lebanese territory.
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