Crucial Syria-Lebanon border crossing reopens after two years

Show caption: People travel from Syria into Lebanon at the Masnaa border c…

Thousands a day could cross at Abboudieh-Dabbousieh, a site shut after being hit by Israeli strikes

A vital Lebanon-Syria border crossing has reopened after two years, with officials saying it could handle up to 10,000 passengers and 200 lorries a day.

The Abboudieh-Dabbousieh crossing between northern Lebanon's Akkar region and Syria's Homs province was closed after Israel bombed it in November 2024 amid its all-out war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad's regime, a key ally of Hezbollah, was still in power at the time and the border regions were vital for the flow of weapons into Lebanon. Syrian rebels toppled Al Assad a month later and formed a government that has sought to turn a new page with Lebanon.

Lebanese authorities have worked over the past year to upgrade their systems at border crossings – whether by land, air or sea – to curb the flow of weapons and drugs. Officials said the Abboudieh-Dabbousieh crossing had been equipped with new scanners and security systems.

“It is good for the Syrians and Lebanese,” a Lebanese security source said of the economic effects of the move. “Of course, the security has been improved."

The Arida border crossing, near the Mediterranean coastline between Akkar and Syria's Tartus province, is expected to reopen in December after months of rehabilitation work.

Because of the closure of the two crossings, most land traffic has passed through the Masnaa crossing, in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

The Merchants of North Lebanon Association, a collective of small business owners in the region long regarded as a neglected part of the country, welcomed the reopening of the Abboudieh-Dabbousieh crossing.

“This step constitutes a fundamental boost to revitalising economic and commercial life in the region, and facilitating the movement of citizens and goods, after the suffering that the north witnessed during the past period,” the association said.

Syrian official Mazen Alloush said the reopening of the crossing was important not only for social and economic reasons, but also to stop the flow of people across illegal and unofficial crossings.

Despite efforts to secure the frontier, the Lebanon-Syria border remains extremely porous and attempts to smuggle people, goods and narcotics continue. The Lebanese army regularly reports detaining Syrians who entered the country illegally, although it is rare for troops to open fire.

The two countries have had a tumultuous relationship, marked by Syria's intervention in Lebanon in 1976 and its decades-long tutelage of the country, during which the Assad regime was accused of carrying out several political assassinations.

Updated:

November 10, 2026, 1:55 PM