The Syrian opposition yesterday called on Lebanon to “exert control over its borders and put an immediate stop to Hezbollah’s military operations on Syrian territory.” Reports indicate that the Iran-backed terror group, having gone all-in on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime, recently poured thousands of fighters into Syria.

“The Syrian National Coalition calls on the Lebanese government to exert control over its borders and put an immediate stop to Hezbollah’s military operations on Syrian territory,” the SNC said in a statement.

“We call upon the Lebanese government to take action against Hezbollah’s aggressions and do everything within their means to ensure the safety of the innocent civilians on the Syrian-Lebanese border.”

Meanwhile, allied Syrian forces have crossed into Lebanon and bombed rebel enclaves in Lebanese territory. The dynamic – which has Hezbollah fighting on behalf of elements that are attacking Lebanon – has deeply damaged the group’s efforts to ‘brand’ itself as an indigenous Lebanese organization protecting Lebanese sovereignty. That characterization was sometimes picked up and amplified by Western foreign policy specialists, but has since come under withering criticism.

The coalition, recognized by the Arab League and dozens of states as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people, noted that for weeks Hezbollah forces have targeted villages on the Syrian side of the border and said the rebel Free Syrian Army “was forced to respond to these repeated aggressions.”

Yesterday’s statement from the Syrian opposition came a day after a Lebanese member of parliament published an op-ed slamming Hezbollah for sacrificing Lebanese interests on behalf of Iran.

[Photo: Freedom House / Flickr]