Lebanon starts destroying Syrian refugee shelters as govt ultimatum expires – report

The Lebanese army has started destroying Syrian refugee settlements in the country’s northeast on Monday, officials have said. Aid groups warned of more demolition in the coming days.

The government had given refugees in the village of Arsal until July 1 to demolish all shelters made of materials other than timber and plastic sheeting.

On Monday, military units moved into several camps in Arsal and “demolished at least 20 homes,” aid groups said. An estimated 15,000 people, including at least 7,500 children, could be affected by the demolition operations.

A Lebanese security source said that demolition has started, adding that only four empty concrete houses had been destroyed, AFP reports. Lebanon, a country of some four million people, hosts between 1.5 and two million Syrians.