Report: 90k Syrians Flee to Lebanon amid Armed Militant Resurgence

By Staff, Agencies

Lebanese media report that approximately 90,000 Syrian citizens have fled to Lebanon following the resurgence of armed foreign-backed militants, which has intensified the collapse of President Bashar Assad’s government in Syria.

The Beirut-based Al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Friday that most of the displaced Syrians are sectarian minorities forced to leave their country since December 8 and are now in Lebanese territory.

“The official number of those entering Lebanon from Syria does not exceed 7,000 displaced persons, at a rate of 1,000 to 1,200 per day since last Sunday. All of them meet the agreed-upon legal conditions, such as having residency permits, humanitarian status, or using Lebanon as a transit country for travel abroad,” unnamed security sources told the daily.

The same sources highlighted that the official data does not account for thousands who entered Lebanon via illegal crossings, with some estimates placing the number at 90,000. “About 4,000 to 5,000 Syrians gather daily at the Masnaa crossing, facing issues entering Lebanon,” the sources added.

The report noted that most of the displaced Syrians belong to minorities previously residing in areas under the control of the Assad government, including near the Sayyida Zainab [AS] shrine and in the countrysides of Homs and Hama. “These individuals have been distributed across various areas, with some arriving in Beirut, but the vast majority settling in the Beqaa region, including the city of Hermel,” the report stated.

Security sources expressed concerns over the “very dangerous” situation created by the proximity of displaced individuals who oppose the Assad government to those who support it, which could lead to acts of revenge and conflicts. The newspaper also reported attacks on some displaced Syrians by militants in their homes and villages, accompanied by threats demanding they leave.

The resurgence of foreign-backed militants in Syria, spearheaded by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham [HTS], has seen the group storm Damascus early Sunday following significant gains in northern Syria over the past two weeks.

Reports suggest that the militants are receiving strong support from "Israel", Turkey and some Western states, which have backed anti-Damascus factions since the outbreak of foreign-backed militancy in 2011.

Amid the chaos, "Israel" launched a ground offensive in southwest Syria and carried out missile attacks targeting several areas. The "Israeli" military claimed it had destroyed up to 80 percent of Syria’s military capabilities in what it described as one of the largest offensive operations in the entity's history.

"Israel" has also deployed troops into a so-called buffer zone east of the occupied Golan Heights and continues efforts to advance further into Syrian territory.