About 270 Syrian families have left the town of Bcharre in northern Lebanon over the past days, according to a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for fear of reprisals following the accusation of a Syrian youth of killing a resident of the town.

The killing of the young man Monday sparked tension in the region. The official National Information Agency reported that groups of youths "expelled Syrians in response" to the crime. According to a statement, the army conducted patrols in the area to restore calm. The accused turned himself in and is currently under investigation.

Refugees spoke of young men who attacked their homes after the crime and set some of them on fire, which prompted them to flee to the city of Tripoli.

The spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, Lisa Abu Khaled, told AFP that the agency "is aware that about 270 Syrian families have left Bcharre so far."

"The UNHCR received a large number of refugees at its center in Tripoli. Our team encouraged them to look for another place to live temporarily." The agency worked to secure centers to accommodate people who could not find a place to go.

Abu Khaled considered that "collective punishment and a decision on behalf of an entire group as a result of an incident involving one person is unacceptable," noting that "many families were very frightened and left the town of Bcharre, without even taking their belongings."

Near one of the UNHCR centers in Tripoli, Um Khaled, 31, the mother of five, told France Press, "We lived for many years in Bcharre after we left Syria to escape the war, until this terrifying night came," speaking about the "storming" of young men to her home, where "they attacked and threatened us and set fire to it ... so we carried our children and fled with them."

Hajia Al-Daher, 28, who has been living in Bcharre for years, also recounted, "Young men stormed my house and cursed us, and beat my children and burned my house .. They were punishing me for a sin I did not commit."

Yassin Hassan, 30, who had wounds on his face, said that he was beaten by young men in Bcharre, adding, "We ran away with our children without taking anything from our homes."

Freddy Keyrouz, mayor of Bcharre, the predominantly Christian town, denied the expulsion of the Syrians. He told France Press that some families had left, fearing a "reaction."

A judicial source clarified that investigations are underway with the accused to uncover the circumstances.

The Lebanese authorities estimate that there are one and a half million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, while the UNHCR speaks of about one million registered with it.

Over the past years, Lebanon has witnessed from time to time racist campaigns, hate speech against refugees, and calls for their deportation.

Lebanon suffers from a severe economic crisis, and many among them see the presence of refugees as an additional burden for the economy.