Funeral services for fallen Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers continue throughout several Lebanese areas

                
In this context the funeral procession of Martyr Lieutenant George Bou Saab made a stop in Mount Lebanon’s Baabdat town where he had served in one of the area’s posts.             

Residents of the mountain village carried his coffin throughout the town in a display of grief and respect as women tossed rice and flowers at the coffin.               

17 Lebanese Armed Forces soldiers were killed after fighting erupted in Sidon city Sunday between LAF soldiers and supporters of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir lasting until Monday evening. The clashes began after troops arrested an al-Assir follower leading to a retaliatory attack on the part of the Sunni sheikh’s followers. This as the army said the cleric's supporters opened fire without provocation on an army checkpoint.               
LAF martyrs were identified as First Sergeant Toni Youssef Hazouri, Sergeant Omar Haitham Youssef, Corporal Abdel Karim Qabalan Teaimeh, Soldiers Johnny Antoine Nicolas, Wassim Saleh Hamdan, Bilal Abdallah Idriss.  [For the full list please click on this link]                                             

In contrast, 35 of Assir's partisans were also reported killed in Sidon’s clashes. The Lebanese Red Cross announced that 78 injured were transported out of Abra.                  

Al-Assir is a virulent critic of the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah group, which along with its allies dominates Lebanon's government.                He supports rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad.              

The fighting between troops and armed supporters of al-Assir have transformed the city, which had been largely spared the violence plaguing border areas near Syria, into a combat zone.