According to Qatar's Al Jazeera television on October 14, the Lebanese capital Beirut on the same day in the worst armed conflict in nearly 13 years, the demonstrators demanding the dismissal of the judge of the Port of Beirut bombing case were shot in the street, followed by a double exchange of fire, the incident has killed at least 6 people and injured more than 30 people.
Screenshot of Al Jazeera's report
According to reports, the Lebanese Allah Party and its supporters launched a large-scale protest in Beirut on the 14th, accusing Tarek Bitar, the judge of the Port of Beirut bombing, of political bias in the investigation and demanding his removal. But as the procession reached the vicinity of the Tayyoune neighborhood, they were suddenly shot, and an exchange of fire ensued between the two sides.
According to witnesses from all sides, snipers hiding on the roof opened fire on the protesters at the time of the incident, and some protesters immediately counterattacked with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, and the exchange of fire between the two sides lasted for nearly 5 hours.
Screenshot of armed men shooting in the streets of Beirut
Screenshot of the video of people fleeing in the area where the incident occurred
The shooting has killed at least six people and injured more than 30 others. The Lebanese military said on Twitter that it had arrested nine suspects, including one Syrian. The Lebanese military has now deployed troops to the streets of Beirut, dispatching troops to search for the shooters and urging the population to stay away from the area as soon as possible.
Lebanese soldiers deployed on the streets of Beirut are imaged from the surging image
This is the worst armed conflict in Lebanon in the last 13 years. The last larger conflict occurred in 2008, when Lebanon's Allah Party and the U.S.-backed Lebanese government erupted into a brief armed conflict that killed dozens of people, but eventually compromises between various political factions eased the crisis.
Immediately after the shooting, the Lebanese Allah Party, which organized the protests, issued a statement with allies condemning the right-wing Christian party Lebanon Force Party as the "behind-the-scenes" of the incident: "Lebanon Force party groups scattered on the roofs of buildings and shot directly at protesters with the intention of killing them." The statement also called on supporters to remain calm and not get bogged down in conflict.
But the Lebanese Forces have denied the allegations, saying they lack basis and accusing Allah party of "provocation" as the root cause of the conflict. The party's leader, Samir Geagea, also issued a statement condemning the violence, saying the main reason for the incident was the widespread distribution of weapons, loose management and threats to the population at any time and anywhere.
The Government of Lebanon has pledged to apprehend and hold accountable the culprits. In a televised address to the nation, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the conflict was painful and unacceptable, "reminding us of those days that will never be forgotten and never repeated (the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990)." ”
Prime Minister Najib Mikati also called on lebanese people to remain calm and not to try to drag Lebanon into a violent conflict.
Lebanese President Aoun delivers a televised speech video screenshot
Al Jazeera noted that the shooting came at a time when the investigation surrounding the Bombing of the Port of Beirut on August 4 last year was causing a huge controversy in Lebanon.
The judge in charge of the case, Bitar, has repeatedly questioned officials such as former Lebanese economy minister Ali Khalil and former public works minister Ghazi Zeiter in recent months, both of whom have denied any wrongdoing. Because the Al-Amal movement, an Islamic Shiite party to which the two belong, is closely related to the Allah Party, the latter also accused Bitar of "political bias."
Not long ago, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Allah Party, made "the harshest criticism to date" against Bitar, claiming that bitar had carried out "political attacks" on officials during the investigation of the case.
But lebanese President Aoun and Prime Minister Mikati have both publicly supported Bitar, who has also said that no more judges will be allowed to be excluded from the bombing investigation. Lebanon's Allah Party, together with the Amal movement and other allies, continued to press the cabinet to "take measures" against Bithal.
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