Official diplomatic announcements or major international news reports

Lebanon Returns 70 Syrian Officers to Military Operations Department on December 28, 2024, Following Illegal Entry

Dec 28, 2024, 03:29 PM

Lebanon has returned approximately 70 Syrian officers and soldiers, including former members of the Assad regime, to Syria after they entered the country illegally. This handover occurred on December 28, 2024, as confirmed by various sources, including a Lebanese security official and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The individuals were reportedly handed over to the Military Operations Department in Tartous, Syria. This action follows the collapse of the Assad regime, with many of those returned having fled to Lebanon during the conflict. In related developments, Syria's embassy in Lebanon has suspended consular services, a move that coincides with the return of these individuals and the arrest of relatives of deposed President Bashar Assad at Beirut airport for allegedly using forged passports.