Syrian military helicopters flew low over the area around the border with Lebanon today, pounding rebel forces in a round of attacks which killed at least 10 fighters, according to one rebel official.
The strikes didn’t uproot rebels from the villages around the area, however, as they are determined to retain control over the route leading into Lebanon, where several rebel factions have set up safe-havens.
Most fighting for control of border areas has centered around Turkey, where the larger rebel factions like the Free Syrian Army (FSA) have been openly backed by the Turkish government. In Lebanon, the situation is different, as Sunni Islamist factions rely on covert support from religious blocs in the north, in defiance of the Hezbollah-led government.
This has brought Syrian rebels in direct conflict with the Lebanese government, with the FSA threatening earlier this week to attack the capital city of Beirut to punish them for maintaining close ties with the Assad regime.
