The Lebanese army said on Monday in a statement that it has prevented about 850 Syrian nationals from illegally entering Lebanon over the past week.

It said the Syrians were intercepted at the Lebanese-Syrian border on various dates during the past week.

The Lebanese security forces had been trying to crack down on human smuggling in border areas with Syria as the government faces domestic pressure on the inflow of Syrian refugees.

With an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees residing within its borders, Lebanon bore the weight of hosting the largest number of refugees per capita.

The large presence of Syrian refugees had strained Lebanon’s resources and created widespread discontent among its citizens.

(Xinhua/NAN)