Smuggling and Clan Violence Fuel Escalating Tensions on Lebanon-Syria Border
After the violence that killed 10 people over the weekend, the new governments on both sides of the frontier tried to avoid escalation with a ceasefire
The Syrian-Lebanese border has seen its worst violence since the fall of Bashar Assad. Last weekend, clashes in this porous area, known for smuggling, left seven Lebanese and three Syrian soldiers dead. Shortly after the Lebanese president instructed the army to retaliate, the neighboring countries brokered a ceasefire. However, the reasons behind the violence and the actors involved remain unclear.
Many fear a new front will open in this vast region in northeastern Lebanon. The fighting began after Syria’s interim government accused militants from the Lebanese Hezbollah group of crossing into Syria on Saturday, abducting three soldiers, and killing them on Lebanese soil. Hezbollah, Assad’s main ally in Syria, denied involvement. Other reports suggested that local clans in the border region—though not directly affiliated with Hezbollah—were engaged in cross-border smuggling and may have played a role in the clashes.
The Lebanon-Syria border spans 375 kilometers (233 miles) and is characterized by rugged terrain, with many areas lacking clear demarcation. This has made the region highly porous and a hotspot for smuggling. The area is rife with illicit drug and weapons trafficking, controlled primarily by clans that operate under their own rules. Several armed families wield significant influence in the region.
Since the installation of Syria’s new government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, Lebanon and Syria have attempted to maintain friendly relations. However, historical tensions and allegiances to opposing factions have complicated these efforts. While sporadic clashes have occurred since Assad’s fall in December, these latest confrontations are the most severe.
The Captagon trade in Syria had extensive roots in Lebanon, as the Syrian Fourth Division [led by Bashar Assad’s youngest brother, Maher] and regime-aligned narco-entrepreneurs forged deep alliances with Hezbollah
The porous Syrian-Lebanese border has long been a hub for Captagon production. “The Captagon trade in Syria had extensive roots in Lebanon, as the Syrian Fourth Division [led by Bashar Assad’s youngest brother, Maher] and regime-aligned narco-entrepreneurs forged deep alliances with Hezbollah, using Lebanon as a key transit route and production site for the trade,” said Caroline Rose.
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Rose is the author of The Captagon Threat: A Profile of Illicit Trade, Consumption, and Regional Realities. “Captagon smugglers used Lebanese ports, exploited corrupt governing systems, and established small-scale, mobile Captagon laboratories along the Qalamoun mountain range that can easily shift over the Lebanese-Syrian border,” she told The Media Line. Since taking power, Syria’s new administration, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s al-Sharaa, has made it clear that it disapproves of the drug trade and is leading efforts to dismantle it.
Lebanese officials said Monday that the three people killed were smugglers, but it remains unclear who was responsible for their deaths. Many of the tribes in northeastern Lebanon are loyal to Hezbollah and have clashed intermittently with Syrian forces attempting to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply lines. Their bodies were returned to Syria through the Red Cross, Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said.
What is happening along the eastern and northeastern border cannot continue, and we will not accept that it continues
“What is happening along the eastern and northeastern border cannot continue, and we will not accept that it continues,” Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said on X. “I have given my orders to the Lebanese army to retaliate against the source of fire,” he added. Meanwhile, Syria’s new government has pledged to crack down on Iran’s use of Syrian territory as part of a network for smuggling arms and cash to its proxy forces. In December, Syria imposed new restrictions on the entry of Lebanese citizens following what the Lebanese army described as a border skirmish with unidentified armed Syrians.
Lebanon’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra, agreed to halt the fighting after a phone call on Monday. The two sides will continue communicating through their military intelligence agencies to “prevent the deterioration of the situation” and “avoid innocent civilian casualties.”
Lebanon and Syria have endured a tense and often hostile relationship for decades, shaped by wars, assassinations, occupations, and civil conflicts. Both societies harbor deep frustration and resentment toward each other. Hezbollah played a key role in propping up Assad’s regime in Syria and was involved in war crimes against civilians in opposition-held areas.
As both countries attempt to forge new paths after major historical shifts—including Assad’s fall in Syria, the end of Israeli military operations, and Hezbollah’s weakening in Lebanon—any misstep could derail progress. A full-scale conflict would strain Lebanon’s already under-resourced army, which is also contending with Israeli attacks in the south.
The army should defend the country against outside threats, and it should have a monopoly over the use of violence, which has not been the case in recent years
“The army should defend the country against outside threats, and it should have a monopoly over the use of violence, which has not been the case in recent years,” said Abdallah Khoury, a Lebanese political expert. “But this appears to be the position of the new president and the new prime minister, and the international community should support these efforts,” he told The Media Line.
