The Lebanese army thwarts an attempt to smuggle a boat carrying 12 Syrians

A naval patrol of the Lebanese army has seized a boat used for illegal smuggling operations within five kilometers of Rabbits island in north Lebanon.

According to a statement issued by the Army’s Orientation Directorate, the boat was heading from Syria to Cyprus carrying 12 Syrians and one Lebanese, and he lost contact with them about four days ago, after the boat got lost.

The directorate has confirmed that they were arrested and investigations were launced under the supervision of the competent judiciary.

It is worth noting that the criminality of the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies has pushed millions of Syrians to seek refuge in neighboring countries, including Lebanon, which currently receives about one million Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while the Lebanese government estimates that there are 1.5 million refugees on its territory.