Yesterday, the response prepared by the Army Command to the Syrian message regarding the observation towers at the border was revealed. The response, which was submitted by the Army to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the caretaker government, came after weeks of the ministry receiving the letter from its Syrian counterpart, as reported by "Nidaa Al-Watan." In this context, government sources stated yesterday that the official Lebanese response to the Syrian message regarding the observation towers at the border has been completed and sent to the Syrian officials three days ago. It is identical to the response the Army Command sent to the Syrians in 2017, in response to a similar message received by Lebanon.
"Nidaa Al-Watan" obtained details of the Army Command's response to the Syrian message, which claimed that the observation towers observed the entire Syrian depth due to modern surveillance cameras and stated that they were managed by external entities. The Army responded that the purpose of these towers concerns border protection and preventing smuggling through common border points. Additionally, the aim of the towers is to monitor the borders and prevent the infiltration of smugglers or the trafficking of weapons and drugs from and to Lebanon. The equipment carried by the towers is related only to the Lebanese Army, and the cameras are directed toward Lebanese territory and not toward Syrian territory, nor are they used by external parties.
The Army Command stated that the objective of these observation posts and fortifications, along with the construction of towers on them, is to protect Army personnel and secure communications among them, particularly under difficult weather conditions at the border. These observation posts are considered part of the Army system and were built with the assistance of friendly countries, but their management is undertaken by the Lebanese Army, which has previously organized several tours for journalists to inform them of their operations.
