Lebanon reinforces army deployment on border with Syria

Beirut - The Lebanese cabinet that convened Monday night at Baabda Presidential Palace decided to reinforce the army deployment on the northern border with Syria  and take all the necessary measures to better control the border and prevent any infiltration of armed elements into Syria.

Minister of Information Walid Daouk said following the cabinet meeting that the government approved a plan drawn by the Army command for this purpose.

He added that the Cabinet highlighted the need to boost deployment of the army along the Syrian-Lebanese border and take all necessary measures to control border areas A parliamentary source told Xinhua that this decision is similar to an executive order and asserts the Baabda declaration that was announced following the last meeting of the National

Dialogue committee on June 11 which stated that the "Lebanese political leaders agrees on distancing Lebanon from the regional crisis and not to turn Lebanon into a crossing point for  armed elements or for arms smuggling into Syria".

The source pointed that the cabinet's decision comes in the context of the disassociation policy from the Syrian events adopted by the government and its refusal to establish a free buffer zone in Lebanon.

On a different note, a security source revealed to Xinhua that in the early hours of Tuesday morning, artillery shells targeted the Lebanese side of the border with Syria without reporting any

casualties or injuries and was followed by heavy exchange of fire across the border.