Syria’s military fired rockets and shells at Lebanon on Sunday after accusing Iran-backed Hezbollah of executing three Syrian army personnel, sparking unusual tensions between the two war-ravaged neighbors.

The Syrian Defense Ministry accused Hezbollah on Sunday of abducting and killing three of its soldiers near the border with Lebanon, which the Lebanese group firmly denied. “A Hezbollah militia unit ambushed the soldiers near the Zita Dam, west of Homs, dragged them into Lebanon, and executed them in the field,” said a ministry statement.

Hezbollah issued a statement denying any role in conflicts with Syrian security forces or on Syrian soil. The group said it ‘categorically denies any connection to the events taking place today on the