Lebanese army detains 237 over attempt to illegal immigration

BEIRUT, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — The Lebanese Army Command announced on Sunday the arrest of 237 individuals, including 230 Syrians, five Lebanese, and two Palestinians, who were attempting to travel illegally by sea.
According to the statement, a military unit apprehended 204 Syrians in the towns of Bebnine and Arida in northern Lebanon as part of a crackdown on human smuggling.
Additionally, naval forces and another army unit detained five Lebanese, 26 Syrians, and two Palestinians aboard two boats off the coast of Qlayaat in northern Lebanon.
Irregular immigration from northern Lebanon has been increasingly active in recent years, with boats frequently heading toward Cyprus, Türkiye, Greece and Italy. ■