The Syrian Ministry of Defense on Thursday accused Hezbollah militias of firing artillery shells from Lebanese territory toward Syrian army positions in the al-Qusayr area west of Homs.

“Lebanese Hezbollah militias fired several artillery shells from Lebanese territory toward positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the al-Qusayr area west of Homs,” Syria’s state news agency SANA reported, citing a Defense Ministry source.

“Our forces immediately targeted the sources of fire after locating the sites” from which the five shells were launched, the source said.

The Syrian military halted its strikes on the Lebanese side after the Lebanese army requested a pause and pledged to sweep the area and pursue the groups responsible, the source added. The statement did not specify if there were any casualties or material damage.

While there has been no official response from Beirut, Lebanon’s state news agency reported Thursday that eight Syrian refugees were injured and transferred by the Lebanese Red Cross to hospitals in Hermel following the explosion of a booby-trapped drone in a farm in the border town of Hosh al-Sayyid Ali.

The Lebanese army reportedly dispatched reinforcements to the area after hearing gunfire. No party has claimed responsibility for the drone attack, and Hezbollah has not commented on the Syrian accusations.

Tensions along the 375-kilometer Lebanese-Syrian border have escalated in recent months, exacerbated by accusations last month that Hezbollah abducted and killed three Syrian soldiers — a claim the group denies. Syria’s government has vowed to tighten border security, targeting drug smuggling and other destabilizing activities.

Late last month, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa met in Saudi Arabia, agreeing on the importance of border demarcation and closer security coordination.

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