Kahwaji holds several meetings, visits wounded LAF soldiers

       
The Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Jean Kahwaji held a meeting on Wednesday at his office in Yarze with caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, State Minister Banos Manjian and MP Michel Pharaon whereby they extended their condolences to the families of the Lebanese Armed Forces' soldiers who were recently killed in the Abra clashes.        

Talks also featured high on the general situation and the latest security developments in the city of Sidon.         

In this regard, Kahwaji also met with the State Commissioner to the Military Court, Judge Saqr Saqr and the President of the United States Defense Cooperation Office in Lebanon Colonel David Brenner.         

On another note, the LAF Commander paid a visit to the wounded soldiers in Beirut's military hospital to check up on their recovery.         

Fighting in Sidon city began Sunday after troops arrested an al-Assir follower. The army says the cleric's supporters opened fire without provocation on an army checkpoint.        

Official reports said at least 17 soldiers were killed and 50 were wounded in the fighting while more than 20 of al-Assir's supporters died in the battle, according to a security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to reporters.         

Al-Assir is a virulent critic of the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah group, which along with its allies dominates Lebanon's government.