Bodyguard of Sheikh Assir arrested at Beirut International Airport

Judge Saqr referred on Thursday bodyguard of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir A. Abdel Hay to the Lebanese Armed Forces Intelligence Branch to carry out investigations

Earlier, the National News Agency reported that the bodyguard of Sheikh Ahmad al-assir of Palestinian nationality was arrested by the security forces at Beirut International Airport.

The Agency noted that the arrested man was leaving to Cairo, adding that investigations were launched in this regard.

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.

On June 23, al-Assir and his supporters sparked a wave of violence in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon after LAF troops arrested a 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 has since gone into hiding and his whereabouts remain unknown.

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.