Judge Abou Ghida issues arrest warrants against 5 persons involved in the Abra clashes

The Military Investigative Judge Riad Abou Ghida interrogated on Thursday 6 persons detained following the Abra clashes and issued arrest warrants against 5 of them.                

The judge is set to follow up the investigations in the case as of next Monday.                      

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.                  

The 2 day 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.