On its Twitter account, the Lebanese Armed Forces confirmed that 15 members of the Engineering Regiment departed for the affected areas in Syria, to participate in the search and rescue operations.

In this context, Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh reaffirmed his government’s official willingness to put all available capacities at the service of the brotherly people to face the repercussions of the catastrophe.

Upon welcoming Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabash on Monday, Hamieh stressed that “Syria is a brotherly country that has never stopped helping Lebanon. Therefore, we support its people and government.”

During a ministerial session, the head of the interim Government, Najib Mikati, assigned the Environment and Public Works and Transport authorities to establish communication with Türkiye and Syria to fulfill the request for cooperation in rescue works.

A 7.8 magnitude quake shook southern Türkiye and parts of central and northwestern Syria on Monday, with aftershocks in Lebanon, Cyprus, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, and Egypt.

According to official data, the death toll rose to more than 4,500 in both nations, with thousands injured and enormous destruction.

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