The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

At Lebanese-Syrian borders | Tensions rise between Lebanese Hezbollah and military security factions

Reef Dimashq province: SOHR activists have reported that the regime-controlled security services have arrested two week ago two men working with Lebanese Hezbollah in Assal al-Ward town in west Al-Qalamoun in Reef Dimashq near the Syrian border with Lebanon after patrols of the military security have ambushed the two men in Beriod city.

According to sources in the region, the two men were working in selling the drugs under cover of Lebanese Hesbollah leaders. Accordingly, Assal al-Ward, Talvita, Ranqous and Qarah in west al-Qalamoun have witnessed daily military security alert via searching the people at the borders and enhance their posts with soldiers and soil barriers in case of any escalated tensions with Lebanese-controlled Hezollah factions.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Hezbollah factions established temporarily checkpoints for hours and remove it daily in the aforementioned areas amid escalated tensions in the region.

On Sept. 12, 4th Division, headed by Maher al-Assad, brother of the Syrian President has received recently several checkpoints of the National Defense in areas of Raknous, Qarah, Aasa al-Ward in west Qalamon in the Damascus countryside at the Syrian-Lebanese borders.

Members of the 4th Division at the deployed at the checkpoints have imposed financial levy on the populations especially the farmers on pretext that they garner large revenues from the trafficking processes to and from Lebanon.

The 4th Division members imposed 50,000 Syrian lira which equals 14 US dollars on the farmers cars weekly to allow them to cross easily. According to SOHR activists, the 4th Division leaders had met with drugs merchants in the region and asked them to pay levies for passing after some leaders in the National Defense under control of the Syrian regime were easing the traders work and were even their partners in the region that is considered the main feeder of drugs in Syria at the border with Lebanon. Merchants from the rest of the Syrian regions were buying Hash substance from well-known persons with good relations with the National Defense forces formerly before those forces presence were only limited to west Qalamon in the Damascus countryside at the Syrian-Lebanese borders.