Name: Lebanon denies plotting against Syria’s new government
Uploaded: 2026-01-14T17:42:41.868Z
Duration: 2 min 21 s
Description: Lebanon has denied allegations that its territory is being used to plot against Syria’s new government. Officials in Beirut say there is no evidence to support claims of cross-border conspiracy. This comes despite President Joseph Aoun confirming army raids in several areas.

Lebanon has denied allegations that its territory is being used to plot against Syria’s new government. Officials in Beirut say there is no evidence to support claims of cross-border conspiracy. This comes despite President Joseph Aoun confirming army raids in several areas.

Tripoli

Lebanon has rejected allegations that high-ranking officers from the ousted Syrian regime are using Lebanese territory to plot against Syria's new government. Community leaders in Tripoli's Alawite district and Lebanon's president both deny the presence of such figures, stating that only refugees remain and that recent army searches found no evidence of armed groups or prominent ex-officials.

The dispute has reignited sectarian tensions in Tripoli, prompting Lebanon's highest Sunni authority to convene political and religious leaders to address the issue. While Syria's new government claims to have provided Lebanese authorities with names and locations of the alleged plotters, Lebanese officials insist the accusations are unfounded, and the city remains a focal point for ongoing intercommunal strife.

Lebanon denies plotting against Syria’s new government

Syria's street in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli tells the story of the country's difficult relationship with its neighbor. More than once, it turned into a battleground. For years, the war in Syria destabilized Lebanon. This is Bebe Tebbeni, the mainly Sunni district that sided with the opposition against Bashar al-Assad. The balance of power has changed and there are new leaderships in Damascus and Beirut. But they haven't been able to overcome decades of mistrust and their fragile relationship continues to be tested. On the other side of Syria's street is Jabal Mohsen. Alawites live here and there is support for the ousted Syrian leader. It's now believed some of Assad's high-ranking officers who fled following the fall of the regime are using Lebanon as a logistical base to plot against the new authorities in Damascus. The Alawite leadership here denies that. There are no armed groups, no weapons. They're only refugees, is what the community's religious leader told me. There are no high-ranking officers here. Instead, we need to ask why these allegations are being made now. It is an attempt to cover up the crimes that are happening in Syria today. Lebanon's president says the army searched in mainly Alawite villages but found no prominent members of the ousted regime. Damascus has so far not commented. The issue is reviving intercommunal tensions, prompting Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon's highest Sunni authority, to bring together politicians, security officials and religious figures. It doesn't believe the Lebanese state addressed the issue seriously. The new government in Syria is sure about the presence of these officers in Lebanon and it has given their names and their whereabouts to the Lebanese authorities. We want the government to take real action because we believe they pose a threat to security in both countries. Assad's allies are no longer in power here, but Lebanon is still divided over Syria. All the while, this city remains a flashpoint for Syria's sectarian violence.

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