Two land mines exploded early Wednesday along the Lebanon-Syria border wounding three Syrians trying to illegally cross into Lebanon, the Lebanese army said in a statement Wednesday.
The army said the mines exploded on the Syrian side of the border and that the wounded were rushed by the Lebanese Red Cross to a hospital in northern Lebanon for treatment.
Over the past months, thousands of Syrian citizens fleeing worsening economic conditions in their war-torn country made it to Lebanon through illegal crossing points seeking a better life. But Lebanon is going through its own four-year meltdown, with a drowning economy — pinning its hopes on tourism — and crumbling infrastructure where electricity and water cuts are widespread.
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A locator map shows Syria with its capital, Damascus. At least three Syrians became injured Wednesday after two land mines exploded along the Lebanese border. (AP Photo)
The local Al-Jadeed TV said one of the victims, an 18-year-old, lost a leg and an arm, and suffered shrapnel wounds in the neck leaving him in critical condition. Another young man also lost his leg while the third, a 27-year-old, suffered some shrapnel wounds in the back.
The Lebanese army said in a statement Tuesday that it prevented 1,250 Syrians from crossing into Lebanon this week alone. It said another 1,200 Syrians were prevented from reaching Lebanon the previous week.
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Lebanon hosts some 805,000 United Nations-registered Syrian refugees, but officials estimate the actual number to be between 1.5 million and 2 million.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned last week that thousands of Syrian refugees who have been coming to Lebanon over the past months, ” could create harsh imbalances” in the small Mediterranean nation.
