Syrian refugees face Scorched Tents Policy by Lebanese army

Reporting by Faris Al Rifai; Editing by Dani Murad)

(Zaman Al Wasl)- During a search for suspected fighters accused of last month's deadly clashes in the town, which led to the death of at least 3 Lebanese soldiers, and in their intensified efforts to stop the infiltration of Syrian refugees from the Lebanese border town of Arsal, at least one person was killed and two wounded, the Lebanese army says.

Soldiers patrolling a camp outside the town of Arsal opened fire on the men when they tried to set fire to tents at a neighbouring camp, an official statement said.

However, residents and a local official disputed the army's version of events, and said that the Lebanese soldiers burned the tents after attacking Syrian refugees, including women and children, and arrested hundreds of them, under accusations that they are members of groups such as Nusra Front, Syria's al Qaeda wing, which is fighting President Bashar al-Assad's forces, while security sources said the number detained in the past two weeks had reached about 450.

And according to a video uploaded on YouTube, a Syrian refugee woman in the camp accused the Lebanese forces of committing human violation and almost burning her daughter alive after forcing her to leave the burning tent, while her daughter was still inside, and despite her pleas to save the girl, the soldiers only reply was: “leave her there”.

The girl who was saved in the last moment by her mother, has Down syndrome and can’t move easily, yet this is one of many violations against elderly, sick, and wounded refugees who sought the camp to escape Assad’s killing machine and have seen no mercy or compassion.