Khaberni - Syrian authorities, on Wednesday, discovered a tunnel in the southern countryside of Homs province in the center of the country, extending to Lebanon, and seized weapons and ammunition depots prepared for smuggling, according to official media.
The "Syrian News Channel" reported that "the internal security forces in Homs found a tunnel in the southern countryside extending between Syria and Lebanon used in weapon smuggling operations, and seized several stores containing weapons and ammunition prepared for smuggling."
The channel did not mention who is responsible for digging the tunnel, however, the Syrian Defense Ministry previously announced the closure of similar border tunnels, which it said "Lebanese militias" used in smuggling operations.
No immediate comment was made by the Lebanese side regarding the Syrian authorities' announcement.
On March 10, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar', during a phone call, agreed to activate coordination and consultation between the two countries, especially concerning border control and preventing any security lapses, according to official statements.
The border between Lebanon and Syria stretches over 375 kilometers, and includes unofficial crossings, often used for smuggling people, goods, and weapons, which has prompted both countries to strengthen their military presence there.
Tent Fire
In another context, five Syrian children died, and three people were injured, all from the same family, today, Wednesday, due to a fire that broke out in two tents in Deir al-Hajar town in the Ghazlaniya area in the countryside of Damascus.
The Syrian Civil Defense, in a statement, said that the fire resulted in the death of the five children and the injury of two women and a man with varying degrees of burns, noting that the incident occurred at midnight the previous night.
According to initial data, the Civil Defense presumed the fire was caused by a heater that was burning inside one of the tents.
It confirmed that its teams in the Emergency Management and Disaster Administration in the Rural Damascus Governorate responded to the incident and worked on extinguishing the fire.
