Syrian warplanes hit Lebanese territory

BEIRUT -- Missiles fired by Syrian warplanes hit Lebanese territory yesterday in one of the most serious cross-border violations since Syria's crisis began 18 months ago, security officials in Beirut and Lebanese state media said.

They said four missiles fired by two jets hit a rugged area on the edge of the Lebanese border town of Arsal. No casualties were reported.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman ordered an investigation into the border shelling, without openly blaming Syria.

"I heard several explosions and saw four clouds of dust billowing from the area," Arsal resident Nayeh Izzedine said by telephone. "I don't know if it was an air raid, but there was a plane in the sky."

The Syrian forces were believed to be chasing rebels in the area, which has been the site of clashes between rebels battling Syrian troops just on the other side of the frontier.

Also yesterday, Syrian troops shelled rebel-held areas in Aleppo and the Damascus neighborhood of Hajar Aswad, activists said.

Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi met with the Turkish foreign minister on Syria's crisis. Iran's top diplomat joined counterparts from the two countries later to seek an end to the war. -- AP