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Subscribe to RSSLebanese troops clashed with Syrian rebels on the border between the two countries in what a security source told Reuters may have the first such incident between Lebanon's army and the rebels.
The clash occurred Sunday when a Lebanese border patrol spotted the rebel fighters along the border and the rebels opened fire to prevent the patrol from approaching, the Lebanese military source told Reuters. He said there were no casualties.
Although tensions have been high along various points of the Lebanon-Syria border, Sunday's incident may have been the first involving armed fighters.
In late September, a security incident involving Syrian rebels at a Lebanese checkpoint was played down by local residents and officials but initial reports suggested that shots had been fired.
The violence in Syria also spilled over to Turkey on Monday, as Turkey scrambled fighter jets after Syrian government forces bombed rebel positions in the frontier town of Ras al-Ain and stray shells flew into Turkish territory, Turkish security sources told Reuters.
PhotoBlog: Turkey scrambles jets as Syrian government forces bomb border town
Shells landed in the Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, which abuts Ras al-Ain, triggering panic, the sources told Reuters. It was not immediately clear whether the shells were fired by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad or by the rebels.
Osman Orsal / Reuters
A look back at the violence that has overtaken the country
Syrians risk lives in battle to protect nation's ancient sites
The uprising against the Assad family’s four decades of rule began 20 months ago. Opposition activists say the fighting has resulted in the deaths of some 40,000 people, according to The Associated Press.
Syria: No chemical weapons plan
On Monday, Syria said that it would not use chemical weapons against its own people after the U.S. warned it would take action against any such escalation.
The statements came amid media reports, citing European and U.S. officials, that Syria's chemical weapons had been moved and could be prepared for use in response to dramatic gains by rebels fighting to topple Assad.
"Syria has stressed repeatedly that it will not use these types of weapons, if they were available, under any circumstances against its people," the foreign ministry said.
Car bombs kill 34 in Syria suburb
The opposition believe that Assad could turn to heavier weapons and some have suggested he might use chemical weapons.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had earlier warned that Washington would take action if Syria used the weapons.
"I am not going to telegraph any specifics what we do in the event of credible evidence that the Assad regime has resorted to using chemical weapons against their own people, but suffice to say, we are certainly planning to take action if that eventuality were to occur," she said during a visit to Prague Monday.
'Worst day in those people's lives'
On Sunday, opposition activists said that dozens were killed and wounded when government forces pounded rebel-held suburbs around Damascus with fighter jets and rockets.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a preliminary death toll for Sunday's fighting of 140.
Machine guns operated by motorcycle brakes? Get a glimpse at the rebels fighting against Assad's forces in Syria's mountainous Jabal al-Zawiya area.
More Syria coverage from NBC News
Activists said rocket fire struck towns close to the Damascus airport road, where rebels and the army had been locked in three days of clashes. Some described constant shelling, similar to carpet bombing, in towns like Beit Saham.
"It was frightening because it was the first time we heard continuous shelling. Really powerful explosions, one after the other, were shaking the area. I could see fire coming up from the town," said Samir al-Shami, from the opposition's Syrian Youth Union, speaking by Skype.
"This was the worst day in those people's lives," he added.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The entire Middle-East is a waste.
Seventh century barbaric and bigoted Sunnis and tenth century a shade better Shiites are battling on whose Allah is greater.
Sunni Syrian rebels are supported by Sunni Saudi Islamic hater and killer groups like al Qaida, MB, Salaffi and other label ones.
We have no roles in Syria and Iran.
Our enemy No. 1 are Sunni Saudi hater and killer gangs all over the world.
To weaken our enemy, remove sanctions on Iranian oil and crash oil prices.
Against us, all will join hands!
"The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a preliminary death toll for Sunday's fighting of 140."
Also kick out all the traitors and Trojan horse lke the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
They should move to some Muslim nation and do their dirty jobs for Sunni Saudis and co.
What "human rights", do these bigoted Sunni Islamic barbarians know?
Why do they go silent during protest and killer marches as during video on Mohammed incident?
Where were our "allies" during attacks on Benghazi?
The moment they get kicks from one sect like Shiites or some leader like Saddam, Sunni Saudis, oil companies and their lobbyists start their seventh century desert pleas, screams, dramas and dances!!!!
Between Barack , Hillary and Susan Rice I have confidence that world peace is near.
I think assad will cling to power till his last breath. Sorrow for the people of Syria. Let's hope they will be able to make sure the replacement won't be worse.
Arabs killing Arabs ....No problem here
We should not go near most ungrateful and backstabbing bigoted Sunni Saudis, Qataris and other Sunni Arab League rulers.
What did we get back in saving them from Saddam?
Assad should eliminate all of the Sunni Syrian rebels. What are those cowards Hezbollah doing?
Iraqi Shiites should attack Sunni Saudis and co from their sides. Or else, they deserve to hang themselves instead of slashing or chaining themselves.
Followers of Islamic cult, especially Sunni Saudi inspired Islamic radicals and militants (al-Qaida, Salaffi, Wahhabi, MB, Taliban and other label ones), are fast marching backwards to their seventh century desert tribal days.
They are indulging in rapings, lootings, killings and genocides of non-Muslims (Darfur, S. Sudan, Nigeria and spreading like wild fire in many regions and Muslims (Libya, Yemen, Mali, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other places).
In Egypt, Sunni Saudi backed Salaffi and MB are opening up new chapters of Islamic bigotry. Morsi is just a front for them. Just watch the fate of Christians, women and Israel as the time goes by.
Even in Syria, if Assad is overthrown by Sunni Islamic religious Nazis like al-Qaida, MB, the conditions of Christians will be unbearable just like Iraq.
Pakis and Sunni Saudis and co are responsible for 80 percent of world problems including economic ones. Examine the devastations with Iraqi wars and now sanctions on Iranian oil and the resultant oil price manipulations.
They are making the lives of their own people also miserable by their Islamic religious madness to the intolerable levels.
NO ROLES OR HELP IN SYRIA AND IRAN.
IRAN CAN GET NUKES FROM PAKIS.
REMOVE SANCTIONS ON IRANIAN OIL.
When the media is looking to get sympathy for the Syrians they use white looking children.
Right, and the media's racist because they haven't shown a white US President in four years.
Have you ever met a Syrian, or a Turk, or a Lebanese? They ARE white.
And when the media wants to make the Syrians look bad they use pictures of Black looking children?
The black ones are just burnt.
In view of the fact that the Syrian regime repeatedly refers to the rebels as "foreign terrorists", I don't find their assurances about not using chemical weapons against "its people" particularly reassuring.
The rebels are trying to overthrow their government and people are "shocked" that the government is fighting back. The rebels expected everyone to bail them out in this battle and it has not happened, When you statr a civil war, you better be armed than those you are fighting. Hopefully this will go on for a few more years until Syria is ruined, serves the nation of terror right.
Myself I dont see any thing wrong with yousing cemicals on rebels or terrorists. I was listening to a talk show on raidio last week, A lot of alarm bells ring about a lot of babys after there two or three years old up here in canada there brains are cooked, athoritys checked living quarters and found that a very fine micro poisonal dust all threw out the residents. its leetching out of all the furnitcher,drapes, rugs, or what ever, the manufacturers for the last ten years world wide have been mixing fire retardents the products and never did any testing., And to top it all off our brain dead P M of canada is just turing a blind eye to the matter.==coyote
Since Hezbollah in Lebanon is supported by Iran and Syria, it is no wonder that Lebanon has skirmished with Syrian rebels. The whole Arab world is sitting back to see if the US will be sucked into this conflagration. Iran claims to be Persian and not Arab, so they will interfere as much as possible.
I'm against bombing, it traumatizes the trees.
What will Obama do if Assad uses chemical weapons against the rebels in Syria? Put troops in Syria? That would be a big mistake alright. We have enough trouble with Muslims now and putting troops in Syria wont help. It is an arab problem so let them solve it with their own military. We have done enough. These muslims need to own up to their problems and get rid of their dictators themselves. They look so much like Losers.