Syrians Vie for Mountains as Combat Spills Over to Lebanon

The Lebanese army announced Sept. 22 that a Syrian rebel unit had attacked a Lebanese army post in the Bekaa Valley town of Arsal. The attack caused no casualties, but the Lebanese army rushed reinforcements in to secure the area and pursue the gunmen. The Lebanese army has moved tentatively to secure the Lebanese-Syrian border, but because of its multidenominational composition, the army is wary of getting too involved on either side of the Syrian conflict.

Lebanon rapidly is becoming an important battleground linked to the conflict in Syria. Because of the importance of the passes across the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, Syrian rebels and the Syrian regime will both continue to attempt to gain control of the mountain range.