BEIRUT: Syrian tanks crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border into the Bekaa town of Arsal Tuesday and fired at an abandoned factory to manufacture batteries after suspecting the presence of armed individuals inside it, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The incident is one of several that saw the Syrian army cross the Lebanese border in the Bekaa region in a hunt of armed gangs, according to Syrian authorities.

However, many residents of the northern Bekaa region have accused Syrian authorities of firing at unarmed individuals fleeing the violent crackdown in Syria as well as hunting down refugees that cross over to Lebanon.

The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon told the Defense Ministry Tuesday that the Lebanese Army should play a role in protecting members of the Syrian opposition who are residing in Lebanon.