Hundreds of Syrian refugees have left the remote
Lebanese mountain town of Arsal in a convoy of trucks
headed for the northern border on the first day of a
controversial repatriation scheme.
Lebanese authorities say 751 Syrian refugees began
returning to Syria on Wednesday under a voluntary
programme coordinated by Lebanon's General Security,
the agency responsible for safeguarding the country's
borders.
Syria has been devastated by a civil war that started in
2011 following an uprising against President Bashar
al-Assad. Much of the country remains in ruins, with
power stations, schools and water services ravaged by
the conflict.