Lebanon and Syrian forces say they are communicating to ease tensions in the brewing country.
The battle erupted along the Lebanon-Syrian border.
Overnight and Monday violence resulted in three Syrian soldiers being killed after skirmishes over the weekend. Damascus blames the armed Lebanese group Hezbollah for the clash, and military officials from both countries are reported to be in communication to avoid the risk of spreading violence.
Syrian national media cited an unknown official and said Syrian troops fired “Hezbollah gatherings” along the border overnight.
In a statement to the Lebanese National News Agency, the Lebanese military commander confirmed the battle on Monday and said they sent reinforcements to “control the security situation.”
The Syrian Human Rights Observatory, a British-based war monitor, said in an unconfirmed report that Lebanese armed groups were involved in the battle.
The Lebanese army said a large number of Lebanese troops have been deployed in the area.
Lebanese media reported a low-level battle at dawn after an attack on Syrian military vehicles.
Four journalists embedded in Syrian forces suffered minor injuries early Monday after artillery shells fired from the Lebanese side of the border were attacked in their positions. They accused Hezbollah of launching the attack.
Accusations
It has not been confirmed which Lebanese groups are involved in the battle.
Syrian interim government accused Hezbollah of traveling to Syria on Saturday, luring three soldiers and killing them in Lebanese soil.
The violence has recently skyrocketed in the region between Syrian troops allied with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and armed Lebanese clans.
Last week, the convulsions of violence saw major death sacrifices among Al-Assad’s loyalty and civilians from the Alawi community in Syria.
Lebanese media reports say the clan was also involved in the temptation.
The Lebanese and Syrian forces said they are communicating with each other to ease tensions at the border. The Lebanese army said it had delivered the bodies of three soldiers to Syria.
There were no immediate reports of additional victims on Monday. However, reports suggest that overnight clashes and artillery fire had sent civilians from border areas fleeing towards Elmel, Syria.
Lebanon and Syria have a boundary of 375km (233 miles) and many regions have sturdy terrain without clear boundaries.
Hezbollah has denied any involvement in the invitation and murder of Syrian soldiers.
In an interview with Lebanon’s Al Jade Television, Hezbollah Senior MP Hussein Haji Hassan denounced fighters from Syrian side for crossing Lebanon’s territory and attacking border villages.
Lebanon has been seeking international support to boost funding for the military as it gradually deploys its troops along its aggressive northern and eastern border with Syria and the southern border with Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces said on Monday they targeted two Hezbollah fighter jets to launch air force attacks in southern Lebanon.
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