REPORT: Lebanese volunteers participate in Abra's restoration process

   
Men and women of the Association for Volunteer Services "Farah al-Ataa" are helping clean up the destruction left in the wake of the Abra clashes following the 2 day bout of violence between the Lebanese Armed Forces and gunmen of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir.        

In this context, the volunteers stressed that they will do their utmost in order to restore most of the damaged buildings, mainly the ones located in the vicinity of the Bilal Bin Rabah mosque.       

Fighting in Sidon city began Sunday (23 June) after troops arrested a follower of hardline Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad 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. He supports rebels fighting to oust Syria's President Bashar Assad.

To watch the full report, please click on the video above