A number of Syrian refugees drowned in the river separating the Syrian and Lebanese borders early Sunday morning during a nighttime deportation operation carried out by Lebanese authorities in dangerous weather and geographical conditions.
Local sources and eyewitnesses from the border village of Al-Shabrouniyeh reported that Lebanese army units arrested several Syrian families inside Lebanon and transported them at midnight to unofficial border crossings.
According to reports, the families—including women and children—were forced to cross the river in the dead of night. The currents swept some of them away, and between four and five people from the displaced families drowned. The search continues for others who were swept away by the water.
Civil defense teams rushed to the scene of the incident in the countryside of Talkalakh upon receiving the reports. They are currently working to recover the bodies and provide first aid to the survivors who managed to reach the Syrian bank, where they are in a state of shock and extreme panic.
A resident of the village of Shabrouniya said, "Children and women were left facing the river late at night with no regard for their safety. What happened wasn't displacement; it was pushing them to their deaths."
Zaman al-Wasl
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