Judge Sawan issues arrest warrants against LAF troops over Abra misconduct

    
Military investigating Judge Fadi Sawan interrogated on Monday one officer and four soldiers involved in Abra's incidents and issued arrest warrants against them on charges of disobeying military orders, misusing power and unintentionally causing death.

Earlier, the First Military Investigation Magistrate Riad Abou Ghida launched interrogations with 27 suspects allegedly involved in the Abra battles.      

On the 5th of July, Judge Abu Ghida received the case of the detained suspects, a day after State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged 27 people, 10 of whom in absentia.        

Fighting in Sidon city began Sunday (23 June) after troops arrested a follower of hardline Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir.       

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.

He supports rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad.