evidence: AARSAL, Lebanon — Set in the foothills along the northeastern edge of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, this dusty backcountry town near the Syrian border has seen its population skyrocket over the past two years — a direct result of the raging conflict next door. [...] As sectarian violence heats up across Lebanon — in places like Tripoli and Sidon, where fighting has become frequent — Aarsal in many ways illustrates the Syrian conflict's transformation from an uprising against an authoritarian regime into a sectarian civil war with reverberations around the region. Aarsal has been sporadically targeted by Syrian attack helicopters and artillery over the past two years.