Rockets fired from Syria hit east Lebanon in latest spillover violence

In the latest spillover attacks from Syria, four rockets hit Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region on Saturday, a security source said.

“Four rockets struck in the area between Saraain al-Fawqa and Saraain al-Tahta near the Rayaq airport,” the source told AFP.

“The rockets were fired from Syrian territory. There were no casualties,” he added.

Rockets fired from Syria have repeatedly hit Lebanese territory, striking both Sunni areas that back the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, and strongholds of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which supports his regime.

Last week, a woman was killed when three mortar rounds fired from Syria struck near the eastern town of Hermel, a Hezbollah bastion in the Bekaa region.

Despite an official position of neutrality, Lebanon has become increasingly embroiled in the conflict in neighboring Syria.

Hezbollah fighters have been fighting alongside government troops, particularly around the central town of Qusayr near the border, while Sunni communities have sent volunteers to fight alongside the rebels.

The conflict has repeatedly spilled over, with three Lebanese soldiers killed in an attack near the border last week.

Violence in the northern port city of Tripoli, pitting Alawite backers of Assad’s regime against Sunni supporters of the uprising, has killed 31 people in recent weeks.

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah officially declared last week his absolute support for the Syrian regime in its war to suppress a rebellion that started as peaceful popular uprising.

Hezbollah’s position on the Syrian crisis has developed from total denial to cautious silence and open declaration of military engagement.

At first Nasrallah denied that there was a revolution in Syria, saying it was merely a conspiracy to control Syria.

In another televised speech in 2012, Nasrallah urged Syrians to accept reforms by the Syrian president while denying that there were battles in Homs, and said it was merely media fabrications.

The leader of Shiite militia later revealed, albeit indirectly, the involvement of Hezbollah fighters in Syria despite denying that they were fighting alongside the Syria regime. He said that they were Lebanese armed militias in Syria.