BEIRUT, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of nine people were found Friday along a snow-covered smuggling route near the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, according to a statement by the Lebanese Army said.

The statement by the Orientation Directorate said that another six people were saved, but one of them suffering severely from frostbite later died at a nearby hospital.

The men, all Syrian nationals, died after an overnight snow-storm while they were attempting to enter Lebanese territory illegally, the army said.

Two suspects involved in the smuggling were later arrested.

The Lebanese Army and the Civil Defense retrieved the bodies Friday morning, a security source told The Daily Star.

The smuggling route is popular among Syrian nationals, both for entering and leaving Lebanon, and is also used to traffic goods across the border.

Lebanon witnessed fierce storms overnight Friday, which blanketed much of the country's mountainous areas in snow. Enditem

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