Damascus (ANTARA News/AFP) - Syrian troops foiled attempts by "armed terrorist groups" to infiltrate the border from Lebanon during the night, state media said on Tuesday.

The SANA news agency published its report hours after shells fired from Syria landed in northern Lebanon overnight following an exchange of fire along the border, a senior Lebanese security official told AFP.

SANA cited a source in central Homs province -- which neighbours Lebanon -- as saying that "the terrorist groups shot at Syrian border posts, in the areas of Jisr al-Qamar and Jisr Abu Suweid, as well as the Harmush, Armuta, Arida, Nura and Dalia crossings," as they sought to infiltrate the border.

Syrian troops foiled the attempt, the agency said, adding that the "terrorist groups... fled back into Lebanon."

Damascus uses the term "terrorists" to describe the rebels, and SANA said several of them were killed and injured in the border skirmish, adding that one Syrian soldier was wounded.

The Lebanese security official had said earlier that areas of northern Lebanon were shelled after gunmen opened fire on both sides of the border at several illegal crossing points. The source gave no details on casualties.

Several witnesses told AFP they had seen dozens of families fleeing their homes in the frontier region of Wadi Khaled.

The latest incident came just two days after border clashes in which two girls were killed and several other people wounded in Lebanon. (RN)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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