BEIRUT: One Lebanese driver was wounded and two Syrians killed after trucks from the Bekaa Valley were caught up in crossfire at the Syria-Jordan border late Monday.
The refrigerated trucks were transporting goods from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley to the Gulf when they were caught up in a battle between the Syrian Army and rebels as they were about to cross into Jordan through the Nasib border crossing.
One Lebanese driver was wounded and two Syrians were killed, the head of the Farmers’ Association in the Bekaa Valley, Ibrahim Tarshishi, told The Daily Star Tuesday.
“We were informed late Monday night that the trucks had reached the area of Nasib, just 1 kilometer from the Jordanian border when they came under heavy rocket fire and shelling, during fighting between the [Syrian] army and the rebels,” Tarshishi said.
There were at least 130 trucks waiting to cross when battles erupted in Nasib, a government-controlled border crossing surrounded by territory held by Syrian rebels. At least four trucks were destroyed, he said.
“The trucks were all carrying Lebanese products, fruits and vegetables destined for the Gulf countries,” Tarshishi said. He said communication with the truckers had been completely cut off since Monday night.
“We have no new information about their conditions, but the Jordanian authorities said they would check on them,” Tarshishi said, calling on Jordan to facilitate the crossing of the trucks.
Tarshishi called for halting the movement of trucks from Lebanon until the situation on the Syrian-Jordanian border was resolved. “We asked the agriculture minister to stop trucks from crossing into Syria through Lebanon’s Masnaa [border crossing] for the time being,” he said, noting that some 70 vehicles carrying Bekaa products cross to Syria on their way to the Gulf almost daily.
Lebanon’s General Security could not be reached for comment over whether authorities were still allowing trucks to take the same routes toward Jordan.
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