The Arida border crossing between Lebanon and Syria will reopen on Tuesday, Syrian authorities announced, months after Israeli airstrikes forced its closure.
Located at Lebanon's northernmost coastal point, Arida links the Akkar region to Syria’s Tartous and Homs governorates and is one of six official crossings between the two countries. It was repeatedly targeted by Israel last year during its war with Hezbollah, alongside other crossings.
"We would like to inform all travellers that the Arida border crossing with Lebanon will open to passenger traffic on Tuesday morning," Syria’s General Authority of Land and Sea Ports said in a statement Sunday.
"This is despite ongoing restoration and maintenance work, as we strive to facilitate residents' movement during the Eid al-Adha holiday."
The holiday, Islam’s most important, begins on Friday, 6 June. Lebanese authorities have also carried out repair work on their side of the crossing.
The Lebanon-Syria border remains porous and largely unmarked. The former Assad regime had long refused to engage in formal border demarcation with Lebanon. However, relations have gradually improved following Assad’s ousting, with renewed efforts at cooperation on border control.
In an April interview with The New Arab's Arabic language edition, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said disputed border areas with Syria stretch across millions of square metres.
Smuggling across the 394-kilometre frontier of goods, weapons, drugs, and people has long posed a serious challenge to Lebanese security and economic stability, particularly amid Syria’s 14-year war and Lebanon’s ongoing financial collapse.
Lebanese military and security officials have held multiple meetings with Syria’s new authorities to clamp down on smuggling. The army has recently sealed dozens of illegal crossings and bolstered its border deployment.
Last month, British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell visited eastern border areas to assess UK-funded border watchtowers, which he said had significantly enhanced Lebanon’s ability to monitor the frontier.
These bases "reinforce border security in an area formerly outside state control," Cowell said in a video message, speaking in Arabic.
More than 70 such towers and forward operating bases now line much of the border, from the Mediterranean coast to Mount Hermon. There have been calls to expand this network further.
In May, France handed Lebanon archival documents outlining the historical border with Syria, which officials say could support future demarcation efforts. President Emmanuel Macron had pledged the handover during Aoun’s recent visit to Paris.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia hosted Lebanon’s and Syria’s defence ministers, who signed an agreement to address border threats after deadly clashes erupted between Lebanese clans and Syrian security forces.