Lebanon sends 70 soldiers and officers back to Syria – security official | News.az”
On Saturday, Lebanon expelled approximately 70 Syrian officers and soldiers, sending them back to Syria after they had crossed into Lebanon illegally through informal routes, according to a Lebanese security official, News.az reports citing The Jerusalem Post.
Many senior Syrian officials and people close to the former ruling family of Bashar al-Assad fled the country to neighboring Lebanon after Assad’s regime was toppled on December 8.
The Lebanese security official who spoke to Reuters said Syrian military personnel of various ranks had been sent back via Lebanon’s northern Arida crossing.
The security official said the returnees were detained by Syria’s new ruling authorities after crossing the border.
The new administration has been undertaking a major security crackdown in recent days on what they say are “remnants” of the Assad regime. Several of the cities and towns concerned, including in Homs and Tartous provinces, are near the porous border with Lebanon.
