Gunship fires at rebels fleeing into Lebanon: Syrian military

DAMASCUS, June 12 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army said one of its gunships tracked down armed groups that were attempting to flee Syria into neighboring Lebanon on Wednesday, killing some of its members.

"As part of the Syrian troops' pursuit of terrorist groups and targeting them whenever located on the Syrian soil, one of our gunships spotted armed groups, which were trying to flee Syria toward the Lebanese territories, and attacked them, hitting some of their members and shooting at others after (the militants') fleeing toward (Lebanon's) Arsal area," the Syrian Army's General Command said in a statement carried by the state-TV.

While stressing the army's resolution to continue its duty to protect the Syrian territories, the statement noted that the Syrian army is keen to respect the sovereignty of Lebanon.

Earlier in the day, Lebanese media said a Syrian helicopter fired three missiles near Lebanon's border town of Arsal, leaving at least one person wounded.

The report claimed that the Syrian raids targeted the center of the town, as the majority Sunni residents in the town back the rebellion against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In a rare warning after the attack, the Lebanese army said it would immediately respond to any further attacks by the Syrian army.

The border town of Arsal has become a key conduit for refugees and wounded people fleeing the ongoing war in Syria. But Syrian security officials said the town has also served as a passageway for fighters and arms flowing into Syria.

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