Tensions have once again flared along Syria’s western border with Lebanon, following intense clashes in February when the newly formed Syrian army deployed reinforcements to Al Qusayr in western Homs to crack down on smuggling networks and militant groups. Those clashes resulted in the deaths of multiple Syrian army personnel, as well as Lebanese tribesmen and Hezbollah affiliates.
The latest round of violence erupted on March 16, with the Syrian Ministry of Defense accusing Hezbollah of infiltrating Syrian territory and killing three Syrian soldiers. Hezbollah, however, denied any involvement, asserting that it had no connection to what happened on the Syria-Lebanon border.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)—a source often criticized for its unreliability—claimed the clashes began when Lebanese tribesmen fought personnel from Liwa Ali Bin Abi Taleb, a unit affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense. According to this version of events, a tribesman was stabbed during the fight, and what followed was Syrian soldiers being lured into Lebanese territory, where they were ambushed and killed—one allegedly stoned to death.
The clashes were concentrated in two key areas along the border: the region between Qasr, Lebanon, and Matrabah in Syria, as well as Hawsh al Sayed Ali, a Syrian village inhabited by Lebanese Shiites. Despite being inside Syria, Hawsh al Sayed Ali is commonly regarded as a Lebanese village under the jurisdiction of Lebanon’s Hermel district.
The violence escalated when the villages of Qasr, Kouakh, Sahlat Ma, and Hawsh al Sayed Ali were hit by at least 50 rockets and mortar shells, also coming under gunfire. The attacks damaged three civilian homes and a gas station, triggering a mass displacement—particularly from Qasr and Hawsh al Sayed Ali.
The Amal Movement’s official X account claimed that Lebanese fighters—whom it identified as tribesmen—targeted five Syrian military vehicles, destroyed a tank, captured three Syrian personnel, and killed at least 22 Syrian soldiers using rifles, Kornet missiles, a drone, and other projectiles. Additionally, the Amal Movement claimed Lebanese fighters destroyed a Syrian artillery battery with mortar fire.
Lebanon’s Bekaa region, which borders Syria, is home to powerful Lebanese tribes that play a significant role in the area’s political and social fabric. The most influential are the Hamada, Jaafar, Dandash, Zuaiter, Shamas, and Miqdad tribes. Since its rise in the 1980s, Hezbollah has steadily expanded its influence in the Bekaa by forging alliances with these tribes, leveraging their traditional hierarchies to strengthen its presence. The terrorist group has provided them with financial and military support, allowing it to establish a foothold in border regions that have long been hubs for smuggling.
Over time, Hezbollah’s relationship with these tribes has deepened, particularly in illicit activities such as arms and drug smuggling—key revenue sources for the group following increased international sanctions. Simultaneously, the tribes have maintained a degree of autonomy from the Lebanese state, benefiting from weak security forces and the lack of economic development in the region. This dynamic has only strengthened Hezbollah’s influence over the tribes’ decisions and actions. Even if the tribesmen acted independently against Syrian forces, Hezbollah likely at least provided military and logistical support.
In response to the escalating violence, the Lebanese Army announced that it had contacted Syrian authorities to maintain security and stability along the border. It also ordered troops to respond to attacks with appropriate force. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) continued to deploy reinforcements and heavy weaponry to the frontier, also conducting an airstrike on a Syrian artillery position in Hawsh al Sayed Ali.
After two days of intense fighting, a ceasefire was reached between the Lebanese and Syrian Ministries of Defense on March 17. However, the accord is unlikely to mark the end of hostilities between Syrian forces, Lebanese tribesmen, and Hezbollah-affiliated fighters. Hezbollah remains determined to maintain the supply routes that once facilitated its rearmament via Syria—routes that have become increasingly difficult to access.
Hezbollah benefits from the Lebanese presence inside Syrian territory, which helps sustain its operations. Lebanese residents in these Syrian villages fear that increased Syrian government control over the border could eventually lead to their forced displacement into Lebanon.
The new Syrian government appears intent on asserting full control over the porous border, signaling a growing intolerance for Hezbollah and Iran’s broader regional project. Whether Damascus will succeed in this effort remains uncertain. Regardless, the ongoing tensions highlight the struggle between Syria’s state interests and Hezbollah’s ambitions to keep the border a corridor for Iranian arms shipments.
