At least eight defectors from the Syrian military were reportedly killed by troops overnight along the border with Lebanon, the latest in a series of clashes between Assad-loyal troops and a growing cadre of defectors.
Adding to the tension this time, however, are unconfirmed reports that the killings actually took place on Lebanese soil, and that the defectors had managed to cross the border before being caught and killed.
If true this will add considerably to the concerns over the border between Lebanon and Syria, which the Assad government has claimed is a smuggling hotbed and which Lebanese residents have claimed is being violated on a fairly regular basis.
The Lebanese Army insists that the killings took place inside Syria, but locals are disputing this account. At any rate, it has sparked more international calls for Syria to both stop killing people and to let them flee across the border, if they want to.