Victim’s uncle tells LBCI details of Arida incident

The attack against the fishermen’s boat in Arida village drew the ire and condemnation of the residents.    

Residents of nearing towns participated in the funeral ceremonies of the 16-year-old Maher Hamad. During prayers, the victim’s relatives carried his body and headed for the crossing point near the bridge leading to the Syrian town of Sheikh. They stood on the border, insulted the Syrian regime and its supporters and engaged in stones throwing.     

Fady Hamad, Maher’s uncle, who was, along with his brother Khaled, aboard the boat with the victim, told LBCI the details of the incident. “On Saturday morning, while we were pulling out the nets from the water facing the Arida shore, a Syrian civil boat, belonging to a Syrian fisherman from the nearing Syrian village, headed towards us. They arrested us and opened fire at Maher and Khaled when they tried to pull out the nets,” he said.    

“The Syrian forces using the boat were in civil clothes; they took us to Syria,” he added.    

Fadi confirmed that he came under physical torture, adding that no smuggling can be carried out from and into Arida given that it is a crossing point and surrounded by security checkpoints.