Three people were rescued and four are missing after they illegally attempted to cross a river on the Syrian-Lebanese border late on Saturday.
The incident occurred near the villages of Al Shabruniyeh and Al Dabbousiyeh, close to the town of Talkalakh in western Homs province, official Syrian news agency Sana said. It said that they tried to cross Al Kabir River amid heavy rain and strong currents.
“Rescue teams were sent after receiving reports that people were being swept away near Al Shabruniyeh, an area known for illegal border crossings,” Munir Qaddour, head of the Talkalakh civil defence centre, was quoted as saying.
After several hours, rescuers found two women and a man. They received first aid at the scene and were later transferred to a hospital for treatment, Mr Qaddour said. The survivors said that they were among a group of 11 people, four of whom were in Lebanon, while others were carried away by the river.
Search efforts were suspended after teams were unable to safely enter the river due to the dangerous conditions, Mr Qaddour added. Co-ordination with Lebanese authorities was planned to resume the search from the Lebanese side of the border, he added.
It was not clear from Sana's report whether the group was trying to enter Syrian or Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese army denied reports that it forced Syrians into the river while they were attempting to cross the border.
“These units did not force anyone to return across the river and are currently conducting search operations for those who drowned, in co-ordination with the Syrian authorities,” said the Lebanese military.
The army said it is facilitating the voluntary return of Syrians to their country through official border crossings in co-ordination with the relevant Syrian authorities.
Meanwhile, Syrian border guards said they arrested five people in the coastal province of Tartus attempting to illegally enter Syrian territory.
Initial investigations revealed that some of those arrested were members of the toppled regime of Bashar Al Assad and would be referred to the authorities to complete investigations and legal procedures, said the border guards.
This operation was part of efforts by the Syrian army to safeguard the country's borders and prevent illegal infiltration, Sana said.
