The violence in Syria comes to Lebanon.<br/> <br />On Tuesday, Syrian troops crossed into Lebanon destroying farm buildings and clashing with Syrian rebels who had taken refuge there.<br/> <br />Residents say Syrian forces crossed a few hundred meters into Lebanese territory. A security source in Beirut says clashes took place near the poorly marked border but did not confirm Syrian troops had entered the country.<br/> <br />A local resident describes the shelling.<br/> <br />SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED LEBANESE CITIZEN AND RESIDENT OF THE AREA WITH SCARF OVER HIS FACE, SAYING:<br/> <br />"The shelling was from all directions, from al Qusair-Mashta checkpoint, and all other checkpoints around us. So we fled the area there and we came here."<br/> <br />Lebanon has had a complicated relationship with Syria, which continues to exercise some influence over its neighbor despite the 2005 departure of thousands of Syrian troops and intelligence operatives from Lebanese soil.<br/> <br />Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters.
