Syria: We Didn’t Shell Lebanon, Sources: Disputed Area Targeted

Local Editor

An official source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry denied Tuesday news circulated by some Lebanese, Arab and international media outlets claiming that Syrian warplanes fired bombs into the Lebanese territories.

The source affirmed in a statement that this news is "false and completely baseless".
It further slammed "some countries which have adopted hostile policies towards Syria through arming and funding the armed terrorist groups for having promoted this false news."
While stressing the falseness of this news, the ministry stressed its respect for the Lebanese sovereignty and keenness on the security and stability of friendly Lebanon.

Meanwhile, well-informed security sources told as-Safir Lebanese daily that the recent Syrian shelling near the Lebanese borders targeted a disputed area between the two countries.

In a related context, leaders among the Lebanese parliamentary majority expressed their surprise of President Michel Suleiman's position, who stated that the air raids were "unacceptable" and "violated Lebanese sovereignty."

As-Safir sources questioned Suleiman's rush towards a political clash with Damascus despite the Syrian denial.
"This behavior is mostly to leave more negative repercussions on the relationship with the rest of the majority's components," they predicted, and noted that the President ignores the persistent "Israeli" violations against Lebanon, which have worsened during the past few days.

However, according to them, Suleiman was quick to condemn the Syrian shelling, given Damascus' denial, in a position that reflected the lack of balance.

Source: News Agencies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org