Shells fall along Lebanese-Syrian border

Five artillery shells fell along the Lebanese-Syrian border Thursday morning, security sources told The Daily Star.The shells fell in the Lebanese village of Msharfeh, located 9 kilometers north of Hermel, following clashes inside Syrian territory. Two shells fell on a house owned by Ghazi Hajj Hasan and two others fell near the main road, sources said. Hasan and his family survived even though the shell damaged the entrance of their home and one of the bedroom walls and shattered their windows. Another shell fell near Nawwaf Hajj Hasan’s home but did not explode. “My family and I survived a real catastrophe that could have killed us all,” Hajj Hasan said. “The first fell at the entrance directly and the second near the bedroom where our children were sleeping.” According to Hajj Hasan, the village of Msharfeh, where dozens of Hajj Hasan families live, is frequently hit by shells from the Syrian side of the border – though usually not targeting people. “This is the first time that the shells target our home,” Hajj Hasan said, accusing Syrian armed gangs of targeting his village. Police and Army soldiers arrived at the scene and surveyed the damage. The Army then cordoned off the area surrounding the unexploded shell.