The General Authority for Ports and Customs inaugurated the Qamar Bridge crossing between Syria and Lebanon on May 4th, marking the start of transit movement between the two countries through this crossing after completing the operational and organizational preparations, in a new sign of the faster development of relations between Damascus and neighboring countries.
In a statement published through its official IDs, the Authority announced the start of the movement of passengers in both directions, amid simplified procedures aimed at reducing the waiting time, facilitating audits, and providing guidance and organizational services within the port, in addition to enhancing security and service readiness in proportion to the expected volume of traffic.
Qamar Bridge (Al-Bqai'a)
Qamar Bridge is located in the Wadi Khaled area in northern Lebanon, opposite the Dabousiya area in the western countryside of Homs inside Syrian territory.
The crossing is one of the secondary border crossings between the two countries, but it is an important artery for the residents of the border areas, who depend on it for local movement and trade.
It has been gradually rehabilitated over the past years, and the current opening is the first full official operation of the crossing in more than 13 years.
The crossing operated sparingly before 2011 and was completely closed during the war years due to security conditions.
The area around the crossing is of an open geographical nature, and includes a number of socially and family-intertwined villages between the two sides, making its reopening a step that has a direct impact on the daily life of the residents.
The importance of the opening at this time
The opening of the Qamar Bridge crossing is a step in a broader plan to reactivate the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, facilitate the movement of citizens, and relieve pressure on the main crossings that are witnessing heavy congestion, especially during the travel and work seasons.
The opening also reflects an improvement in the level of administrative and logistical coordination between the two countries, and a gradual return to the work of secondary crossings that have been suspended for many years.
The network of official crossings between Syria and Lebanon
Syria and Lebanon have six official land crossings that form the main artery for the movement of passengers and goods between the two countries. The Jdeideh Yabous port, the most vital factory, connecting Damascus directly to Beirut, returned to normal operations in May 2026 after temporary closures imposed by security threats in April.
The Joussiya-Al-Qaa crossing between the countryside of Homs and Hermel, which endured a lot of pressure during the closure of the factory, is prominent while the Dabousiya-Aboudiya port is a major port towards northern Lebanon and is heavily used by trucks heading to Akkar.
On the coast, the Arida port is gradually reopening after partially reopening in March 2026, but movement is still limited to pedestrians only and in one direction from Lebanon to Syria due to damage to the bridge linking the two sides.
In the Wadi Khaled area, the Tal Kalakh-Bqai'a port continues to serve daily transit traffic between the Homs countryside and northern Lebanon, while it is completed by the Muthraba port, which was opened in 2022 to connect the Qusayr countryside with the villages of Hermel and facilitate the movement of the local population.
Illegal crossings on the Syrian-Lebanese border
The Syrian-Lebanese border is dotted with an extensive network of illegal crossings, estimated at 17 known key crossings, while more recent security estimates indicate that there are up to 136 breach points or a small dirt track along the 375-kilometre border.
These crossings are often operated by local-tribal logic or through de facto forces, and are used for smuggling and illegal movement, making them a near-constant part of the complex border landscape between the two countries.
These outlets are concentrated in areas with rough terrain and overpopulation, especially in the northern Bekaa and Hermel. Since the beginning of 2026, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has intensified its field operations by strengthening internationally supported observation towers and erecting tall earthen berms in al-Qaa projects, in an effort to permanently close these cross-border crossings and curb smuggling traffic.