Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Mansi said recent incidents along the Lebanese–Syrian border prompted the two sides to establish a joint operations room for immediate coordination whenever tensions arise.
In an interview with state-run Tele Liban on Tuesday, November 4, Mansi noted that Lebanese–Syrian relations are witnessing positive developments on the security and political levels.
He said the agreement he signed with Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra on March 27 in Riyadh aimed to “calm the situation on Lebanon’s eastern border and curb smuggling.”
At the time, the Saudi Press Agency reported that the two sides signed an agreement affirming the strategic importance of demarcating the border between the countries, forming legal and specialized joint committees in several fields, and activating coordination mechanisms to address security and military challenges, particularly any arising on the frontier.
Mansi added that the incidents witnessed recently along the border led to the creation of a joint operations room linking Lebanese and Syrian military points for immediate coordination whenever an incident occurs, which “has helped stabilize the truce and reduce tensions.”
He explained that “the incidents seen on the border recently drove both sides to establish a joint operations room for immediate coordination.”
On March 16, clashes broke out on the border between the Syrian army and Lebanon’s Hezbollah following the abduction and field execution of three Syrian soldiers near the village of Housh al-Sayyid Ali in Homs province (central Syria near the Lebanese border).
Syria’s Interim Government in Damascus, for its part, vowed to respond to Hezbollah’s killing of the soldiers, began targeting the group’s positions along the Syrian frontier, and sent reinforcements to the border area.
On March 17, Syria’s Ministry of Defense announced Hezbollah’s expulsion from the village, followed by a ceasefire agreement between the two sides.
Mansi also said, “There is political will on both sides to reach border demarcation, despite delays in technical readiness on the Syrian side.”
On combating narcotics and Captagon, the minister explained that “the main labs were in Syria before some activity moved to Lebanon,” stressing that “security coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian armies has led to a significant drop in smuggling operations.”
On October 29, a Syrian security delegation headed by Assistant Interior Minister for Security Affairs Maj. Gen. Abdul Kader Tahhan discussed border control and combating terrorism and narcotics with Lebanese security officials.
Following the meetings, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said his country is working to strengthen security cooperation with Syria across multiple areas, most notably counter-narcotics, criminal offenses, border management, and counter-terrorism, adding that this coordination comes within the framework of renewed relations between the two countries after a series of reciprocal official visits, according to the Lebanese Interior Ministry.
During his visit to Beirut on October 10, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani discussed several files, foremost among them the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanon and border demarcation.
Border demarcation
On August 8, the Lebanese government approved an initiative paper presented by U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack that includes a plan to demarcate the border between Syria and Lebanon.
According to the initiative, demarcation requires reopening talks on several “vital” axes:
Hermel–al-Qusayr axis: Demarcation should reflect Lebanese administrative control as it existed before 1975, especially in areas west of the Orontes River. Syrian control over the al-Qusayr area (western Homs countryside, central Syria near the Lebanese border) should be delinked from any cross-border influence in the Hermel area. Arsal–Qalamoun boundary: Reassert Lebanon’s historical cadastral borders around the town of Arsal by relying on 1933 French Mandate maps and post-independence title deeds. The Qalamoun region (Rif Dimashq province in southwestern Syria along the Lebanese border) should be fixed accordingly. Wadi Khaled sector: Establish clear boundaries using the joint topographic surveys conducted in the 1950s by Lebanon and Syria, with a provision for joint management of the watershed. Lebanon’s eastern mountain range: Adopt the principal ridgeline of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains as the key demarcation feature, with UN technical survey teams confirming each state’s sovereignty over its main high grounds.For the land border, verification of these demarcated sectors is to be carried out jointly by Lebanese and Syrian teams, with support from the United States, France, Saudi Arabia, and the United Nations.
Syrian–Lebanese joint operations room to manage border tensions Enab Baladi.
Hence then, the article about syrian lebanese joint operations room to manage border tensions was published today ( ) and is available on ُEnabbaladi ( Syria ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Syrian–Lebanese joint operations room to manage border tensions )
Also on site :