DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL 

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced Thursday that Hezbollah militias launched artillery shells from Lebanon toward its army positions in central Syria.

“Lebanese Hezbollah militias fired several artillery shells from Lebanese territory toward positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the al-Qusayr area west of Homs,” Syria’s state news agency SANA reported, citing a Defense Ministry source.

“Our forces immediately targeted the sources of fire after locating the sites” from which the five shells were launched, the source said.

“We are in contact with the Lebanese army to assess the incident, and we halted strikes on the fire sources inside Lebanese territory at the request of the Lebanese army, which committed to sweeping the area and pursuing the terrorist groups responsible for targeting Syrian territory,” the source added.

The source did not specify whether there were any casualties or material losses.

While there was no official response from Beirut, Lebanon’s state news agency reported Thursday that “eight Syrian refugees were injured and transferred by the Lebanese Red Cross to hospitals in Hermel (eastern Lebanon) due to the explosion of a booby-trapped drone in a farm in the town of Hosh al-Sayyid Ali near the Syrian border.”

The agency added that the Lebanese army “quickly dispatched reinforcements to the area after hearing gunfire.”

No party has claimed responsibility for launching the drone, and Hezbollah has not commented on the Syrian statement.

The Lebanese-Syrian border, spanning 375 kilometers (233 miles), features rugged terrain with no clear demarcation in many areas. While six official border crossings exist, the region remains porous, with frequent activity at unauthorized routes.

Tensions flared between the two countries last month after Syria’s Defense Ministry accused Hezbollah of abducting and killing three soldiers. While Damascus promised “all necessary measures” against the “dangerous escalation,” Hezbollah denied involvement.

Syria’s government aims to tighten security and reinforce control on its borders, including with Lebanon, targeting drug smugglers and remnants of the former regime that have been stirring unrest.​​​​​​​

During a meeting held in Saudi Arabia late last month, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa agreed on the strategic importance of demarcating the border between the two countries and coordinating on security and military challenges.