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Bus attack injures 7 Lebanese troops

Lebanese army soldiers patrol on their armoured vehicle the Sunni Muslim border town of Arsal

(TRIPOLI, LEBANON) — Seven Lebanese soldiers were injured as their bus came under gunfire in Tripoli early Tuesday morning, after clashes left a young girl killed and seven people wounded.

A statement released by the Lebanese military said a bus carrying soldiers from Maaloula came under fire, leaving seven of the soldiers wounded. The army is reportedly searching for the attackers.

One soldier is said to be in critical condition.

Gunmen reportedly tossed stun grenades, stones, and Molotov cocktails at Lebanese Army soldiers between midnight and 3am, according to security sources.

An 8-year old girl died after being wounded in the Bab al-Tabbaneh area.

Army Day celebrated in Lebanon despite presidential void

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon celebrated Army Day on Friday with politicians emphasizing the importance of preserving the strength of the Lebanese national army.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri phoned Army commander General Jean Kahwagi stressing the need to support state sovereignty.

A statement by Hariri’s press office read:

335242_img650x420_img650x420_crop“Hariri stressed the need to keep this national institution a haven for all Lebanese in the face of current challenges and a symbol of the monopoly of power in the hands of the state and its legitimate institutions. Today, every Lebanese feels a heartbreak, and so does the Army, with its command, officers and soldiers, for celebrating the day of the military institution in the absence of a president, whose position is still empty and vacant, just as the political leaders still lack the initiative to produce solutions and to put an end to the farce of the presidential vacancy.”

Speaker Nabih Berri saluted the Army’s leadership, expressing respect for the martrys who died while performing their duties.

Berri said supporting the Army and increasing and developing its military equipment was necessary to preserve the intuition’s strength. The leader also hailed “the Army’s handling of both the security and defense responsibilities,” as political difficulties continue to threaten stability.

“Safeguarding the security and stability of Lebanon and the region has proven vital to confront Israeli aggression and takfiri attacks threatening to divide the region,” he said.

Prime Minister Tammam Salam telephoned Defense Minister Samir Moqbel and Kahwagi, praising the Army’s efforts in “safeguarding the nation’s security and stability and enhancing unity among its people.”

He also expressed regret that Army Day was not marked by the annual celebration at the Military Academy this year due to the presidential void, which he said took away some of the day’s symbolism.

Salam called on all the country’s political parties to “put the nation’s interest above all considerations and to proceed to elect a president as soon as possible.”

Former President Michel Sleiman said he was confident Lebanon would safely overcome these difficult times.

“Lebanon’s unity and its immunity against extremism will prevail because of the people’s confidence in their Army,” he said during a meeting with a delegation of officers from the Army Command.

Rome Conference increases support for Lebanese army

(ROME, ITALY) — The countries participating in the Rome Conference to support the Lebanese army affirmed their readiness to provide it with special technical support.

The Conference, which was held in the Italian capital Rome yesterday, stressed in its closing statement the importance of Lebanon’s efforts with the support of the international community to enhance the Lebanese armed forces’ capabilities and improve their abilities to carry out their duties.

The statement welcomed the “participation of 43 countries as well as international and regional bodies in the meeting” which represented a strong signal of the international community’s unity to support the sovereignty, stability and security of Lebanon. It also welcomed the additional international support offered in line with the capacity development plan presented by the United States, the Lebanese armed forces’ long term partner.

It pointed out that the United States intends to provide additional assistance, in the areas of counter-terrorism, border security and other relevant areas.

Participants expressed their appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s additional support to be implemented by the governments of the Riyadh, France and Lebanon, as well as the additional assistance to the Lebanese armed forces during the ministerial meeting. They welcomed the willingness of Turkey, Brazil, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Ghana, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain to provide training in several areas and to strengthen cooperation with the Lebanese forces in security-related sectors.

The statement called for more international support as a means of strengthening the Lebanese armed forces’ capacities to assume greater security responsibilities in southern Lebanon and in the Lebanese territorial waters.

The participants announced their full support for the Lebanese government in performing its duties during this transitional period and in accordance with the provisions of the constitution until a new president is elected and stressed on the importance of electing a new president as soon as possible to preserve security and stability in Lebanon.

The one day conference was co-sponsored by the Lebanese government and the United Nations.

Source: The Middle East Monitor

Original Article

Authorities arrest more suspects in Tripoli, Bekaa

TRIPOLI/HERMEL: The Lebanese Army Saturday announced it made more arrests in the Bekaa Valley and the northern city of Tripoli, under the nationwide security plan to restore order to regions plagued by the crisis in Syria.

In the Bekaa, a wanted suspect identified as Ali Khodr Jaafar was apprehended in Al-Sharawneh neighborhood in the eastern city of Baalbek after the military tightened its cordon around the area and launched raids, a security source told The Daily Star.

Jaafar, described as a “dangerous suspect,” is wanted for several arrest warrants and is accused of killing Army soldiers in the Bekaa.

In a statement, the Army said Jaafar also known as Ali al-Shaer was linked to the kidnapping of Lebanese and Gulf citizens and was involved in the 2009 ambush that killed four officers.

He also took part in two separate attacks on security forces in Baalbek that lead to the killing of two officers, the statement said.

In the same neighborhood, the Army raided four houses belonging to suspects involved in abduction cases, car thefts and drug trading, with soldiers confiscating a number of stolen vehicles, the source said.

The military also raided the houses of Nouh Zeaiter and Mohammad Jaafar, wanted suspects as well.

The Internal Security Forces (ISF) Information Branch also raided several locations in the notorious neighborhood and confiscated four stolen vehicles.

The ISF said in a statement they detained a 46-year-old man in the Bekaa, wanted for several arrest warrants over his alleged role in a number of robberies, trading with counterfeit currency and shooting Army soldiers.

In the neighborhood of Maksa in Zahle, east Lebanon, the Army said it detained S.S. suspected of blocking a road in the town and harassing residents.

In the northeastern town of Arsal, the military detained a Syrian identified as Abdel-Nabi Roumieh suspected of belonging to a terrorist group, the Army said in a separate announcement.

The Army also said it arrested a man identified as A.F. in Tripoli’s Al-Hara al-Barraneye for shooting a person, committing robberies and lacking identification documents.

Security forces, led by the Lebanese Army, have begun implementing a security plan to restore law and order to the restive city of Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley.

The Army and ISF members erected checkpoints in several parts of the Bekaa and Tripoli, searching for suspects and inspecting vehicles. The military and the ISF Information Branch have also carried out raids in a number of locations and apprehended wanted individuals.

In the northern city of Tripoli, the military briefly detained Abdullatif Saleh, media officer for pro-Assad Arab Democratic Party, for making comments to a pan-Arab newspaper after the Army had warned him to refrain from doing so.

Saleh was previously detained last year for attacking the Army in a newspaper article.

Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr charged 11 suspects from the northern city of Tripoli, including Khaled Shaykho commander of an armed group in Bab al-Tabbaneh, with “forming an armed group with the aim of harming people, sabotaging the authority of the state, shooting security forces, inciting sectarian sentiments, damaging public and private property as well as killing and attempted killing.”

Earlier this week, the Internal Security Forces detained Shaykho in Bab al-Tabbaneh.

Shaykho is among a number of militia leaders who have been detained since the crackdown began on April 1 in Tripoli.

Tripoli has witnessed nearly twenty rounds of violence between the Sunni-dominated Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood and the Jabal Mohsen district, populated mostly by Alawites, leaving hundreds of casualties and scores wounded over the past three years.

Source: The Daily Star

Clashes in Sidon refugee camp kill eight

SIDON, Lebanon: Clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp of Mieh Mieh in the coastal city of Sidon killed eight people, including the commander of an armed group, and wounded 10 others Monday, security sources said.

Fighting erupted around noon between supporters of former Fatah commander, Ahmad Rashid Adwan, and members of the armed group Ansar Allah, headed by Jamal Suleiman.

During the clashes, members of Ansar Allah stormed Adwan’s headquarters, killing him and his bodyguard, Ahmad Souri, the sources told The Daily Star.

Adwan’s two brothers, Rashid and Khaled, were also among the fatalities, the National News Agency reported.

Gunmen exchanged gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades for over two hours, the sources said, adding that the clashes subsided around 3 p.m.

The Lebanese Army deployed heavily around Mieh Mieh in a bid to contain the clashes as military units worked to seal off all entrances to the camp.

Palestinian Popular Committees delegation arrived to the camp and held several meetings with Ansar Allah to put an end to the violence and agree on a ceasefire.

Members of the Palestinian group, founded in the 1990s with Iran’s backing, evacuated Adwan’s headquarters as residents in the camp pulled several bodies out of the offices.

A Palestinian official said Monday’s fighting was the result of a personal dispute between members of the two groups.

“There was a personal dispute ten days ago and several factions tried to resolve it but they failed,” head of Aqssa Brigades Munir al-Maqdah told the state-run agency.

Source: The Daily Star

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