The Lebanese army said a Syrian woman was killed and three other people were injured during an operation to stop 12 Syrians from being smuggled into Lebanon through unofficial crossings in the mountainous outskirts of the border town of Arsal. The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 4, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Army Command on Thursday, November 5.

In the statement, published by its Directorate of Orientation, the Army Command said a military unit was carrying out security measures to prevent smuggling and control the border near Arsal when a vehicle without license plates and with windows that obscured visibility drove past soldiers at an army observation post. The vehicle was coming from Syria toward Lebanon through unofficial crossings.

The statement said the driver attempted to run over the soldiers, endangering their safety and prompting them to fire warning shots to force the vehicle to stop. The driver then stopped the vehicle and fled to an unknown location.

The army said its soldiers inspected the vehicle and found that it was carrying 12 Syrian nationals who were attempting to enter Lebanon irregularly. One woman had sustained a gunshot wound, while three other people had been injured by shattered glass.

The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment, but the woman died of her injuries, according to the statement. It said an investigation had begun under the supervision of the competent judicial authorities to establish the circumstances of the incident, while efforts continued to apprehend the driver.

Syrian media reports published before the army’s statement identified the woman as Nouf al-Ali, from Idlib city (northwestern Syria). They also reported that a child from the same family was injured in the incident and taken to a hospital in Baalbek for treatment. The Lebanese army’s statement did not identify the woman or the three injured people, nor did it specify whether they were related.

Unofficial Crossings and Smuggling Operations

The incident comes amid continued attempts to cross the Syrian-Lebanese border through unofficial crossings, alongside the smuggling of people and goods between the two countries. The Lebanese army regularly announces security measures to control the border and pursue those involved in these activities.

On October 31, the Lebanese army announced that it had detained 139 Syrians at Lebanon’s northern border with Syria for allegedly entering Lebanese territory irregularly, during a security operation carried out the previous day.

On October 20, the army announced the detention of 186 Syrians during security operations in several Lebanese areas, including Chadra, Dabbabiyeh and Akroum in Akkar, Deir Ammar in Minieh-Dinnieh, Madfoun in Batroun, and other locations.

On March 24, 2025, the Lebanese army announced that it had thwarted smuggling attempts along the border with Syria and seized small arms, fuel and goods intended for smuggling. The operations included the seizure of handguns and goods in Kfar Zabad in the Zahle area, the detention of five Lebanese nationals and one Syrian at an unofficial crossing in Masharii al-Qaa, and the seizure of vehicles loaded with fuel and food supplies.

Syrian-Lebanese Coordination on Border Control

The incident coincided with Syrian-Lebanese efforts to strengthen security and administrative coordination along their shared border, combat smuggling and regulate crossings between the two countries.

On July 2, 2025, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as saying that direct cooperation had begun with the Syrian side to strengthen border security, combat smuggling and ensure the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees. This followed Salam’s visit to Damascus on April 14 of the same year, when he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

On September 1, 2025, Syria and Lebanon agreed to establish two bilateral committees for judicial cooperation and border management, according to a UN secretary-general’s report on the implementation of Resolution 1559. The report said Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed the need for coordination to ensure border stability during a meeting on the sidelines of the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Doha on September 15 of the same year.

On August 13, 2026, Syrian and Lebanese delegations held two days of meetings in Beirut to discuss strengthening cooperation on border management and facilitating crossing procedures. Representatives of the two countries’ defense and interior ministries, customs authorities and General Security agencies participated. The meetings were facilitated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with support from the European Union.

According to SANA, the meetings addressed information sharing, strengthening direct communication channels between the relevant institutions, monitoring borders and crossings, and reviewing smuggling routes and measures to combat smuggling. They also discussed improving coordination between corresponding border posts. The meetings concluded with recommendations to strengthen institutional coordination and information sharing, and identify priorities for technical cooperation in the coming period.