Syria targets northern Lebanese villages

Fresh clashes have struck northeastern Lebanese villages as Syrian artillery and tanks hit Akkar, Zahle and surrounding areas. Bombardments began on Saturday morning with reports of heavy machine-gun fire and shelling from Syrian territories. Electric installations were damaged in northern Lebanon, leading to power cuts in Alnura Akkari and villages nearby. "Three shells damaged the high-voltage power line and wounded a number of animals,” the state-run National News Agency reported. "Syrian shells also landed in the villages of Hikr Jenine and Dibabiyye.” Syria’s Foreign Ministry has denied reports, dismissing them as “totally false.” Settlements in Lebanon’s north and Bekaa regions have witnessed spill-over clashes since the beginning of Syria’s 2011 uprising and civil war.