Damascus accuses the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group of abducting three Syrian soldiers, smuggling them across the border to Lebanon, and murdering them.

The Syrian government on Sunday accused a Lebanese terrorist group formerly allied with Syria of abducting and murdering three Syrian soldiers, prompting missile and artillery fire from Syria into Lebanon.

On Sunday night, the Syrian defense ministry claimed that terrorists from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization, a Shi’ite movement which had enjoyed close ties with the Assad regime prior to its ouster in December 2024, abducted three Syrian soldiers, forcing them across the border into Lebanon, and murdering them.

“A group from the Hezbollah militia kidnapped three members of the Syrian army on the Syrian-Lebanese border before taking them to Lebanese territory and eliminating them,” Syrian government mouthpiece SANA reported, citing the defense ministry.

“The defense ministry will take all the necessary measures after this dangerous escalation from the Hezbollah militia.”

According to Syria, the three soldiers were abducted near the Zeita Dam in western Syria, close to the Lebanese frontier.

The Syrian army retaliated with artillery fire and missile strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, according to Al Arabiya and Lebanese media outlets.

Hezbollah issued a statement denying involvement in the attack on the Syrian troops.

“We reiterate what we have previously announced repeatedly: Hezbollah has no connection to any events taking place within Syrian territory.”

The bodies of the three Syrian soldiers were reportedly discovered in the Qasr area by Lebanese Army troops, who transferred the remains to the Lebanese Red Cross for return to Syria.

A Lebanese security official told AFP that the three Syrian soldiers were not kidnapped and had in fact crossed into Lebanon while on duty and that they were subsequently shot by smugglers.

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