The army successfully intercepted a boat carrying 110 migrants in the waters near Tripoli.

The Lebanese army reported on Friday that they had successfully disrupted a smuggling attempt involving over 100 migrants, primarily from Syria, attempting to leave the country by sea.

Naval forces intervened in an operation that involved a boat carrying 110 individuals, including two Lebanese and the majority being Syrian nationals, as per an army statement. The interception occurred off the coast of the northern city of Tripoli, although the boat’s intended destination was not disclosed.

Typically, migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees departing Lebanon by boat aim for a better life in Europe. Often, they head towards Cyprus, an east Mediterranean island located less than 200 kilometers from Lebanon.

Lebanon is reported to host around two million Syrians, with approximately 800,000 registered with the United Nations, marking the highest refugee count per capita globally.

The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 following the government’s crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests, has been a major contributing factor to this migration.

Since the collapse of Lebanon’s economy in late 2019, the country has become a common departure point for migrants. Lebanese authorities frequently report thwarting sea smuggling operations and arresting both smugglers and potential migrants.

This interception occurs against the backdrop of ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza, including cross-border fire and skirmishes primarily between the Israeli army and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, an ally of Hamas.