Dozens of Syrian families arrive in NE Syria from Lebanon

RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Dozens of Syrians arrived on Sunday in areas run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), passing through the city of Tabqa, northern Syria.

Most of the arriving Syrians were refugees in southern Lebanon, where a recent military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah has caused widespread turmoil. The families crossed through areas under the control of the Syrian government forces.

One of the returning Syrians, Muhammad Abdullah, who fled Lebanon, shared that the situation there has become unbearable due to the heavy shelling in the southern suburbs and the ongoing war.

Abdullah told North Press that around five thousand people are currently waiting at the border, queuing for their turn to cross into Syria.

Fatima Muhammad, another elderly returnee, explained that after living for 11 years in Lebanon, she came to Raqqa and now is waiting for her children to soon follow her safely to Syria.

The United Nations estimates that over 50,000 IDPs have crossed into Syria, while the Lebanese government reports that around one million people have fled from southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Sheikhmus Ahmad, an AANES official in charge of camps, stated that the AANES has formed a crisis cell to accommodate the returnees from Lebanon.

He added that most of those entering AANES-run areas are originally from northern and eastern Syria and stay with relatives.

For those without relatives in Raqqa, the AANES has opened al-Adnaniya camp to provide temporary shelter.

For individuals with no connections to Northeast Syria, the AANES plans to open additional shelters.

By Zana al-Ali