Border crossings between Syria and Lebanon Encyclopedia
Syria and Lebanon are linked by 6 official border crossings, the last of which opened in 2022. All of them are used for commercial and civil movement. During the Syrian revolution, they were used as a crossing point for refugees towards Lebanon. Some of them were closed for many years and are under the control of the Syrian regime. As for the irregular crossings, their number reaches 17, controlled by gangs and clans, and concerned with all types of smuggling and illegal trade.
On October 4, 2024, Israel launched a raid on the Masnaa border crossing, targeting it with bombs that destroyed it all and created a crater several meters in diameter, forcing refugees from Lebanon to walk on foot to cross into Syria.
Jdeideh Yabus crossing (Masnaa crossing)
Al-Masnaa crossing is the main crossing between Syria and Lebanon. It is located between the town of Jdeidet Yabous in the Damascus countryside governorate, and the Lebanese town of Al-Masnaa. It is about 40 kilometers away from the Syrian capital, while it is about 100 kilometers away from the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Its importance
It is the main land gateway between the two countries, and witnesses a large traffic of passengers and goods, especially with many Syrians relying on it to travel through Beirut International Airport after the disruption of many Syrian airports after the start of the Syrian revolution.
The crossing has also played an important role since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011, as it has become a major gateway for escaping to Lebanon, whether for asylum or to travel to other countries.
Closing the crossing
The crossing was closed several times for various reasons. The Syrian authorities closed it as a precautionary measure after the spread of the Corona virus in 2020, with the exception of the passage of truck drivers loaded with goods after their drivers were examined.
Bombing the crossing
During the war launched by Israel against Lebanon in 2024, an Israeli raid on October 4, 2024 targeted the Masnaa crossing, destroying it. The raid left a 4-meter diameter hole on the main road to the crossing.
Israel stated that it “bombed a crossing about 3.5 kilometers long on the Lebanese-Syrian border” that Hezbollah used to transport military equipment to Syria. According to the Israeli army, the raid led to the destruction of what it said was a “tunnel”, in addition to “military buildings and weapons stores.”
During the days of the war, the crossing witnessed hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing into Syrian territory to escape Israeli raids, most of them Syrians, according to what the Lebanese authorities stated.
Dabusiya crossing
It is a crossing that opened in 2007, and is considered the second most important crossing between the two countries, linking the village of Al-Aboudiyah in the Akkar Governorate in Lebanon and the village of Al-Dabusiyah in the Homs Governorate in Syria.
The importance of the crossing
The crossing plays an important role in transporting commercial goods between northern Lebanon and the central and northern regions of Syria, through which food, fuel, and agricultural products are transported.
It is also a major corridor for residents of the border region, as residents of the two regions pass through it to study, work, and so on.
Closing the crossing
The crossing was closed several times during the Syrian revolution, especially during the siege of the city of Homs. After the Syrian regime took control of the region, it was reopened and underwent a restoration process in May 2024.
The crossing was closed on the Lebanese side in 2021 due to a power outage and the absence of fuel, which led to the disruption of the general electronic system at the crossing.
Arida crossing
It is one of the official crossings between Syria and Lebanon, and is located between the village of Al-Arida in the Akkar Governorate in the north of the country, and the Syrian Tartous Governorate.
The importance of the crossing
The crossing is the crossing point for goods from the Lebanese port of Tripoli to Tartous and vice versa, and it contributes to relieving pressure on Syrian and Lebanese ports and harbors by facilitating land transportation.
It gains commercial importance with this commercial movement, in addition to the transportation of goods between the two countries, including agricultural products, building materials, fuel, and others.
The Arida crossing is also used for the movement of passengers for work, visiting relatives, trade, etc. Before the start of the Syrian revolution, it was witnessing an influx of tourists and visitors crossing between the two countries.
A refugee crossing
During the Syrian revolution, the crossing was used as a crossing point for Syrian refugees into Lebanon, especially for residents of the northern regions.
After the war launched by Israel against Lebanon in 2024, it was used to receive displaced Lebanese families fleeing Israeli raids.
Some families took refuge with their relatives, while others settled in Al-Tala’i camp, which was prepared to receive Lebanese refugees, where their data is registered and then they are sent to suitable hosting areas.
Jusiya crossing
It is an official crossing linking the town of Jusiya in the Qusayr region in the western countryside of Homs in Syria, and the Lebanese villages of Al-Qaa, and the main road between Qusayr in Homs Governorate and the villages of Al-Qaa passes through it.
The importance of the crossing
The Josiah crossing provided access to the city of Homs, which is an important commercial and administrative city. For the Lebanese, the crossing is a major point for transporting goods and facilitating transportation between the two countries. It was also used to smuggle food and fuel into areas that were besieged during the Syrian revolution.
Closing the crossing
The crossing was closed at the end of 2012 after the Syrian opposition forces took control of the city of Qusayr and its crossing. However, in 2013 the Syrian regime was able to control Qusayr, with the support of the Lebanese Hezbollah, and the border crossing became under the control of the regime.
The crossing remained closed for about 5 years, and during that period Hezbollah used it as a military point, preventing commercial and civilian movement, and it became a crossing point for smuggling weapons and military supplies for the party to and from Syria.
Reopening of the crossing
In 2017, the crossing was reopened for commercial and civilian traffic between the two sides, after a restoration campaign, as it witnessed fierce battles between the opposition and the Syrian regime during the siege of Qusayr.
Talkalakh crossing
The crossing was established in 2009, and connects the city of Talkalakh, located in the western part of Homs Governorate, near the Lebanese border, with the Wadi Khaled region, located in northern Lebanon in Akkar Governorate, which is a mountainous rural area.
The importance of the crossing
The crossing connects northern Lebanon with central and western Syria, and has an important role in facilitating daily movement between residents of the two regions. It also provides a shorter route for travelers between northern Lebanon and western Syria.
The crossing was used for trade and transportation of fuel and agricultural materials, and the residents of the Wadi Khaled region depend on it to secure their daily needs from Syria.
On the civil level, it is used, like the rest of the crossings between the municipality, for work, trade, study, and family visits, as the roots of the residents of the Wadi Khaled region go back to Syria.
It was used during the Syrian revolution to cross large waves of Syrian refugees.
Singing crossing
It is a new crossing that opened in 2022, linking the Qusayr region in the southwestern countryside of Homs with the Hermel region in Lebanon. Before its establishment, Hermel residents suffered on a daily basis when going to Syria through the Al-Qaa and Masnaa crossings.
The opening of the Mutariba crossing was aimed at increasing commercial and tourist traffic between Syria and Lebanon.
Irregular crossings
Due to the large extension between the Lebanese and Syrian borders, irregular crossings have spread, and their number has reached 17 crossings controlled by tribes. They are far from oversight, and some of them bear the names of the tribes that control them.
Some of these crossings are used to smuggle drugs, weapons, stolen cars, and various types of illicit trade.