15 Syrian refugees frozen to death in Lebanon

The death toll of Syrian refugees who froze to death due to a snowstorm in eastern Lebanon has risen to 15, according to Lebanese Civil Defense sources.

Six more bodies were found on Saturday, taking the death toll to 15, the sources said.

According to the sources, three children were among the victims, who lost their lives as they attempted to cross into Lebanon from neighboring Syria.

Three more refugees were rescued by Lebanese civil defense teams, the sources said.

On Friday, the Lebanese army said nine refugees had frozen to death along Lebanese-Syria border due to harsh weather.

The severe weather is expected to become sunny on Saturday and Sunday, according to Lebanese metrological agency.

Several parts of Lebanon -- including the Beqaa Valley, which is home to thousands of Syrian refugees -- have been hit recently with extremely cold weather and heavy snowfall.

Last month, the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) said the number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon had fallen to about 998,000 from a previous 1.5 million.