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THOUSANDS of civilians and Syrian refugees crammed into cars and fled the Lebanese border town of Arsal today.
Lebanese artillery pounded the town after it was overrun by rebel fighters from neighbouring Syria.
The civilian exodus came in the early morning hours during a relative lull in fighting and just a few hours later the bombardment around Arsal intensified to three shells every minute.
The government rushed reinforcements to the scene, including dozens of armoured personal carriers and tanks.
Arsal’s population had almost tripled from 40,000 because of the presence of refugees.
More than 100,000 Syrian refugees are estimated to be living in and around Arsal and refugee camps have been heavily damaged during the fighting.
Officials said that 17 soldiers had already been killed and that 13 others were missing.
The Syrian incursion came after the Lebanese army detained prominent Nusra Front leader Imad Ahmad Jomaa.
