Lebanese army helicopters have started patrolling the Lebanon-Syria border for the first time, Lebanese security officials and witnesses said Wednesday. According to the AP, Lebanon's Air Force helicopters began over-flights along the eastern and northern borders with Syria in a bid to monitor the frontier and help prevent smuggling operations, said the officials.
A senior Lebanese military official, however, said the move was not directly related to U.N. Resolution 1701. "This has to do with the Lebanese army taking up responsibility for controlling its own borders. We intend to prevent any kind of smuggling operations using all the means we have," he told The Associated Press.
He said several copters were currently active in areas along the border with Syria, some on training missions, others for "logistic and observation purposes."
