World Bulletin / News Desk

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman criticised on Tuesday a Syrian air strike on Lebanon's side of the border between the two countries, calling it an "unacceptable violation" of Lebanese sovereignty.

Syrian air force jets fired four rockets at a remote section of the border with Lebanon on Monday, security sources said, four days after Damascus warned it may strike at Syrian rebels taking refuge across the frontier.

The president's comments were a rare rebuke of Syria, a powerful, larger neighbour that once dominated Lebanon.

Syria's foreign ministry responded later on Tuesday in a statement read on state television: "Syria stresses its respect for Lebanese sovereignty and its support for Lebanon's security and stability."