BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri blasted Thursday the government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, accusing it of turning a blind eye to recent clashes in Syria that reportedly led to the death of members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

“What is happening on the Lebanon-Syria border is extremely dangerous, and most dangerous of all is that the Lebanese government is playing unconscious and allowing Hezbollah to take control of national security,” Hariri said in a statement.

"The Lebanese government is responsible for remaining silent about this terrible national security lax,” the head of the opposition Future Movement said.

Last week, a Lebanese security source said three members of Hezbollah and 12 Syrian rebels were killed during battles in the Syrian town of Quseir, east of the border with Lebanon.

Hariri also slammed Hezbollah for using its weapons for functions other than resisting against Israel.

“We were not far from the truth when we said the resistance is no longer the main function of Hezbollah,” he said.

“Hezbollah’s weapons have other functions which began to emerge with the frequent news of military operations carried out by armed groups belonging to Hezbollah in support of [Syrian President] Bashar Assad’s regime,” Hariri added.

He said Hezbollah now has provided more proof of the dangers of using “illegitimate” weapons.

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour said Thursday that the Border Demarcation of 1920 “placed some Lebanese villages inside Syrian territory.”

“These villages, which number around 20 and include Quseir and other Lebanese villages, are Lebanese and are inhabited by Lebanese citizens,” Mansour said, in an interview with Russia Today.

Addressing Iran, Hariri stressed that the Lebanese opposition was against turning Lebanon into arena that serves the best interest of Tehran.

“If Iran is working day and night to rescue Bashar Assad’s regime from falling, and giving Hezbollah responsibility of the front with the Homs province, Lebanon will not accept to become an arena to achieve this filthy mission,” the statement said.