Syrian cross-border fire kills Lebanese woman

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Syrian cross-border fire killed a Lebanese woman in her 70s yesterday.  The woman was shot in the head, whilst her daughter was injured, outside of their home in Masharia Al-Qaa, which is situated along the Lebanese – Syrian border, near the embattled town of Qusayr in Syria’s central Homs province.

A security source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “the victim was close to her home in Masharia Al-Qaa, which is less than 700 m from the Syrian border.  There were gunshots from the Syrian border into the area, and she was shot in the head.  She was immediately transferred to hospital but she was pronounced dead on arrival.”

The source added “this death was not intentional because the victim is an old woman and the bullet travelled a long distance.”

He also asserted that “the police station affiliated to the domestic security forces have opened an investigation into the incident under the supervision of the Bekaa Appellate Public Prosecutor.”

Qusayr has suffered frequent attacks by Syrian regime forces, clashing with rebel forces there.  Parts of the town, which is an anti-regime stronghold, remain under rebel control.

Mayor of the Lebanese border village of Arsal, Ali al-Hajiri, revealed that “the impact of the clashes that are taking place on the Syrian side, close to the border, have resulted in bullets impacting Lebanese territory, which led to the death of the woman whose  home is close to the border.”

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, the mayor of the nearby border village revealed that “this incident was not an innocent mistake or error, because this is not the first such incident, nor will it be the last, so long as our territory is being violated by the Syrian army.”

He added “the attacks being carried out by the Syrian army against Lebanese border areas are ongoing, and we do not want to open problems with anybody, but the time has come for the Lebanese army to put an end to these unacceptable violations.”

This incident took place less than 24 hours after Syrian forces illegally entered Lebanese territory, temporarily occupying the summer home of Arsal Mayor Ali al-Hajiri, damaging its contents as well as the crops surrounding the house.  A Lebanese army force, accompanied by al-Hajiri, investigated the state of this house which is situated just hundreds of meters inside Lebanese territory.

A local Lebanese official told Agence France-Presse that “Syrian regime forces frequently shoot into our side of the borer” adding “sometimes they shoot at anything that moves arbitrarily.”

He also revealed that “in recent days, [Syrian] regime troops have crossed the border and temporarily occupied uninhabited farm houses.”

Al-Assad regime forces have opened fire several times into neighboring Lebanon during the 14-month uprising, killing a television cameraman on one occasion.  In previous shootings, the Syrian forces have claimed to be targeting armed rebels and people crossing illegally from Lebanon into Syria.

On 9 April, Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed satellite television channel said that Syrian soldiers had shot and killed cameraman Ali Shaaban after firing on a TV crew that was on the Lebanese side of the border.

The state Syrian Arab News Agency [SANA] said that the Al-Jadeed TV crew came under fire as border guards opened fire in retaliation to an attack by “terrorist groups.”