Lebanon army blocks entry of 1,200 Syrians

The Lebanese army said yesterday it had prevented the entry of around 1,200 Syrians this week, at a time both countries are beset by painful economic woes.

Millions of Syrians have fled abroad since their country's civil war broke out in 2011 following the government's repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests.

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Many have crossed the border into Lebanon, which the United Nations says hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world.

The Lebanese army said in a statement that it had "prevented around 1,200 Syrians from crossing the Lebanese-Syrian border in the past week".

It had announced on August 23 that it turned back 700 Syrians attempting to enter the eastern Mediterranean country irregularly.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati yesterday expressed concern about a "new wave" of refugees crossing the border "via illegal paths".