Syria's war again spills into Lebanon

BEIRUT -- Syria's civil war spilled over into neighboring Lebanon once again yesterday, with gun battles in the northern city of Tripoli between supporters and opponents of President Bashar Assad's regime that left four dead.

Nine Syrian judges and prosecutors also defected to the opposition. It was the latest setback for the regime, which appears increasingly embattled, with rebels making gains in northern Syria and near Damascus, the capital.

The defecting judges posted a joint statement online urging others to join in breaking ranks with Assad. There have been several high-level defections over the past year, including Assad's former prime minister.

In Geneva, the UN's special representative for Syria and the Arab League, Lakhdar Brahimi, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns. They said in a joint statement that the situation in Syria was "bad and getting worse," adding that a political process to end the conflict was "still necessary and still possible." Activists said another 45 were killed yesterday in the civil war.

In Lebanon, fighting flared as bodies of three Lebanese, who were killed after crossing into Syria to fight in the civil war were brought back home for burial, the state-run National News Agency said.

Four people were killed and 12 were wounded in the gunfights, the agency said. -- AP