At the Aridha border post, in the far north of the Lebanese coast, the misfortune of some rubs shoulders with the distress of others, between two wars, that of Lebanon and the Syrian conflict. The bridge, which connected the two countries, lies in the mouth of the Nahr Al-Kabir, the river which marks the separation between the two countries. It was targeted on November 27 by three missiles, the last falling less than an hour before the ceasefire came into force in Lebanon, at 4 a.m.
At dawn on Friday, December 6, Aridha was again attacked by Israeli aircraft, completely interrupting its operations. Its reopening, even very partial, was nevertheless celebrated on December 2 by the Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamie, who visited the site. A strategic crossing point, Aridha is the main border post that connects northern Lebanon to the Alawite coastal region and the Syrian cities of Tartus and Latakia, the stronghold from which the Al-Assad family comes. It also makes it possible to reach Homs, the fourth city in Syria, on the verge of falling into the hands of the rebellion.
Bombed on December 3, the neighboring post of Abboudiyé, mainly dedicated to the passage of goods, is also out of operation, its access being sealed off by the Lebanese army, it was noted The World. Since September, all border crossings connecting the two countries have been attacked several times by Israel, which claims to want to prevent arms transfers to Hezbollah from neighboring Syria while hundreds of thousands of people crossed them, most often on foot, to escape the war in Lebanon. Between September 24 and October 22, around 440,000 people, 71% of Syrian nationality and 29% of Lebanese nationality, fled the Israeli bombings hitting the country of Cedar to find refuge in Syria, according to the Syrian Red Crescent.
But this December 4 in Aridha, the Syrians who try to return to Lebanon are for the most part declared personae non gratae. In the dust, among the rubble and between the wrecks of some vehicles charred by the bombing, only crossings on foot are tolerated on the Lebanese side. “In the Syria-Lebanon direction only. And only Lebanese citizens can pass. Or Syrians who can prove they have a Lebanese spouse”, explains a general security officer. The others, who arrive with tired looks, come up against an impassable wall.
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