Syrian letter stresses keenness on Lebanon's security after gunship attack

BEIRUT, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Thursday that his Syrian counterpart underlined in a letter to him Damascus' "keenness on Lebanon's security."

According to the state-run National News Agency, Mansour said Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem "stressed the importance that the Lebanese army control the border to preserve security and stability."

Muallem urged Lebanon to "take necessary measures that strengthen the joint efforts between the two brotherly countries and peoples, in the framework of mutual keenness on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two states."

The letter came a day after a Syrian gunship attacked Lebanese border town of Arsal, prompting the Lebanese army to issue an unprecedented statement warning it would immediately retaliate to any future attacks. Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman threatened to file complaints with the Arab League and the UN Security Council.

Hours after the attack, Syria's army command said it would continue to target rebels across the Syrian territory, but is " committed to respecting the sovereignty of the Lebanese republic, its territorial integrity and the safety of its people."

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