Syrian Defense Ministry accuses Hezbollah of killing 3 soldiers

The Syrian Defense Ministry accused Hezbollah on Sunday of abducting and killing three of its soldiers near the border with Lebanon, which the Lebanese group firmly denied.

“A Hezbollah militia unit ambushed the soldiers near the Zita Dam, west of Homs, dragged them into Lebanon, and executed them in the field,” said a ministry statement.

It vowed to take “all necessary measures” in response to the “dangerous escalation” by Hezbollah.

The incident underscores the new Syrian administration's push to secure the country's borders and curb threats from drug smugglers and remnants of the former regime.

Hezbollah's media office rejected the accusation in a statement carried by Lebanon's National News Agency.

“We categorically deny any connection to the events that occurred today on the Lebanese-Syrian border,” it said, insisting that the group is not involved in activities within Syrian territory.

The agency also reported that several rockets hit the village of Al-Qasr located in northeastern Lebanon. The source of the rocket fire was identified as the Al Qusayr region of Syria just across the border.

It did not provide further details on the incident. However, Syrian social media accounts shared a video showing scenes of the Syrian army targeting Hezbollah militia forces near the Lebanese border in retaliation for recent acts of aggression.

The rugged 375-kilometer (233-mile) Syrian-Lebanese border, marked by mountains, valleys and plains with few clear boundaries, features six official crossings.

Historically, Hezbollah has maintained strong ties with ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who governed from 2000 to 2024.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.