Syrian gunfire wounds 10 at Lebanon border: officials

BEIRUT: Ten people, including a nine-year-old child, were wounded in two separate shootings at the Lebanese-Syrian border on Wednesday, an official and a medical source said.

Eight Syrians, including the child, were injured by gunfire in the Syrian border town of Qusayr before being smuggled into Lebanon where they were hospitalised, a medical source said.

The injured, who include a 16-year-old girl in critical condition, were brought into the eastern Lebanese border area of Aarsal and driven to hospitals in the country's north, the source said, requesting anonymity.

Earlier on Wednesday, two Lebanese men were wounded in a cross-border raid in the Aarsal area, which has witnessed deadly gunfire in recent months, a local official said.

"Syrian troops entered Lebanese territory today and opened fire on the village of Khirbat Daoud in Aarsal," said Bakr Hujairi of the Aarsal municipality.

Hujairi identified those wounded as Khaled and Mohammed al-Fleeti, adding that they had been transferred to a nearby hospital where their condition was stable.

At least three people have been killed since October when Syrian troops staging incursions into Lebanon opened fire on border villages.

Lebanon's Western-backed opposition, Washington and the United Nations have condemned the incursions.

But the Lebanese government, largely dominated by Hezbollah, a strong ally of the Syrian regime, has for the most part stayed silent on the issue.

Lebanon and Syria share a 330-kilometre (205-mile) border but have yet to agree on official demarcation.

Syria has also planted landmines along its border with Lebanon in a bid to prevent weapons smuggling and dissidents from fleeing a fierce crackdown by the regime in Damascus against a near 10-month revolt.

Beirut is bitterly divided between pro- and anti-Damascus camps, and there are growing fears the bloodshed in Syria could spill over the border.

The Lebanese opposition and France have also accused the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of involvement in a bombing that wounded five French UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon last week.

Damascus has denied the charge.