Beirut, Dec 11 (IANS): Members of the Lebanese army fired warning shots at unknown gunmen who crossed the border from the Syrian side into Lebanon in the outskirts of the village of Kfar Qouq, eastern Lebanon, according to a statement by the Lebanese army.

"Unknown gunmen coming from Syrian territory crossed the border and approached one of the army's border posts and fired into the air," said the statement published on social media platform X.

"The Lebanese army fired warning shots, which forced the gunmen to return to Syrian territory," added the statement.

A Lebanese military source told Xinhua that "the Lebanese army summoned additional forces to this axis, where they carried out a large-scale combing operation that reached meters from the borderline with Syria."

The Lebanese army had strengthened its presence and deployment along the borderline separating Lebanon and Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

Syria's al-Assad's government collapsed on Sunday amid a major offensive waged by militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.