by- The Daily Star BEIRUT: Parts from Syrian surface-to-air missiles used against Israeli planes carrying out strikes near Damascus landed in Lebanese border towns Saturday. Casings from the surface-to-air missiles fired over Syria towards an Israeli planed landed in the southeastern town of Kawkaba in Hasbaya, falling in the middle of a lemon grove, a security source told The Daily Star. A separate source said that Lebanese Army and UNIFIL unit were on the ground in south Lebanon conducting searches for more missiles parts. Missile casings also fell in the Bekaa Valley towns of Sireen al-Fawqa and Ali al-Nahri, near the Lebanese-Syrian border, the state-run National News Agency reported. The Army later released a statement confirming the findings. It added that they appeared to be from Israeli missiles that had been aimed at targets in Syria. The Daily Star could not independently confirm the origin or the make of the projectiles. Visiting the debris near Kawkaba, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “I think the [Syrian strike] demonstrates how much progress the resistance has made.” Fayyad, an MP for Marjayoun-Hasbaya, toured the area where the missile had landed and met with local residents. “All the shops are open, people are going about their day… the situation is normal and stable,” he said. When asked if they are expecting any surprises, Fayyad declined to answer.

The NNA reported significant Israeli aerial activity over southern Lebanon, including above the occupied Shebaa farms, and residents from South Lebanon reported hearing air raid sirens early Saturday coming from settlements in occupied Palestine as the raids were conducted over Syria. Al-Manar TV reported that Israeli construction of the contentious border wall on the Lebanese southern border was halted Saturday. Israeli forces began construction of the controversial wall near the southern border Wednesday, U.N. peacekeepers spokesperson Andrea Teneti told The Daily Star earlier this week. The Al-Manar report said that there was no sign of workers carrying out construction Saturday, unlike previous days where men were seen installing the large concrete blocks near Naqoura.