The Lebanese prime minister departed on Saturday for his first official visit to the Syrian capital Damascus to meet with the new government, after several Lebanese soldiers were injured in clashes along the countries’ shared border last week.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the new Syrian government, on Saturday afternoon. According For the Lebanese Prime Minister’s Office. Mr al-Sharaa leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist group that led the offensive last month that ousted the decades-old regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Mr Mikati’s visit follows the election this week of Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s president, after two years in which the office was vacant. Mr Aoun will soon begin consultations on naming a new prime minister next week.
In Syria, Mr al-Sharaa faces the challenge of imposing order on a country that has been devastated by 14 years of civil war that has divided it into several warring zones and fueled the proliferation of armed groups. Has given.
Like other countries bordering Syria, Lebanon fears its internal chaos could spill over into its territory. Last week, at least five Lebanese soldiers were wounded in clashes along the Syrian border after Syrian militants fired on Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army said its troops were trying to close illegal border crossings into the area.
Mr Mikati spoke to Mr al-Shara on the phone after the incidents. During the call, Mr. al-Sharaa pledged that “Syrian authorities are making every possible effort to restore peace on the border and prevent a recurrence of the case,” Mr. Mikati’s office said at the time.
Further underscoring those challenges, Syrian state media announced Saturday that its security forces had arrested Islamic State affiliates who had planned to carry out a major attack in Damascus.
According to government-controlled outlet SANA, the two men had planned to use explosives inside the Sayida Zainab mausoleum, a holy site especially revered by Shia Muslims on the outskirts of Damascus.
While an international coalition led by the United States has largely defeated ISIS in its former strongholds in Iraq and Syria, the group is still active in some areas, and continues to inspire attacks online.
Here’s what else is happening in the region:
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Gaza ceasefire talks: Efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza war that could allow the remaining hostages to be free were continuing in the Qatari capital Doha. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, meet Friday night with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. According to the Qatari Foreign Ministry, the two discussed “efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip”, among other issues. Qatar and Egypt are mediating between Israel and Hamas with the help of the United States – which refuses to negotiate directly.
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rocket from gaza: More than 15 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian militants are still firing from the Gaza Strip, although both Israeli and US officials say the group’s military capability has declined significantly. Air raid sirens sounded in the Israeli border community of Kerem Shalom on Saturday after a rocket was launched from southern Gaza; The Israeli military said it was successfully intercepted.