The Mayor of Al-Qaa, Bashir Matar, affirmed that the town "will not compromise its right to access its entire borderlands under any circumstance and to protect them from encroachment and seizure while preventing any kind of construction." He warned both "Lebanese and Syrians present in the Al-Qaa plains against continuing with any form of aggression, stating that they will be monitored closely."
In a statement, he said, "Yesterday, a military force from the Syrian army entered Lebanese territory at property number 89 from the Beyoun area owned by the municipality of Al-Qaa to intimidate municipality members and security forces to prevent them from fulfilling their duty in curbing violations. The Syrian force acted on behalf of some Lebanese citizens who are digging a well on the border within the mentioned property to seize the land and plant it with trees, aiming to facilitate smuggling operations of all kinds."
He continued, "The municipality will stand alongside the army and security forces to enforce the law and prevent violations and breaches of the borders as occurred today, where elements from the Al-Qaa police station filled in the well despite attempts from the Syrian army to intervene, which is unacceptable within our borders."
Matar called on "the competent judiciary to take a strict stance against aggressors and violators, to safeguard rights and public peace, urging respect for borders to the fullest extent, and calling for addressing these irresponsible behaviors, which he hopes are individual actions driven solely by material gain."
