Syria retaliates against Lebanon, accuses Hezbollah of killing troops
What's the story
Syria's military has carried out rocket and artillery attacks on Lebanon, after accusing Iran-backed Hezbollah of killing three Syrian soldiers.
The Lebanese militant group had reportedly ambushed the soldiers near the border west of Homs in Syria, before killing them in Lebanon.
The claim was made in Syria's state-run news agency, Sana citing the defense ministry.
Official response
Syrian defense ministry condemns Hezbollah's actions
Syria's defense ministry has denounced Hezbollah's actions, referring to it as a "dangerous escalation." The ministry has vowed to undertake all necessary measures in retaliation to the incident.
However, Lebanon's state-run news agency NNA reported that Hezbollah denied involvement in the border events.
The report added that rockets fired from Syria had landed on Lebanese territory near the border, but no casualties were reported.
Background
Ongoing conflict in Syria and Hezbollah's role
Syria's government has been fighting intense battles with forces that it says are from the former regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December.
Rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham led an Islamist uprising against him. Its chief Ahmed Al-Sharaa declared himself president in January.
Hezbollah was a key ally of Assad during his rule and played a decisive role in the civil war that erupted in 2011.
Military status
Hezbollah's military capabilities and recent actions
Hezbollah's military capabilities were considerably reduced after its war with Israel last year. However, it continued supporting Hamas during the Gaza war by shelling Israel from the north.
Israel and Lebanon agreed on a ceasefire in late November 2024.
This recent escalation between Syria and Lebanon is another chapter in the ongoing regional tensions involving various militant groups and state actors.