The
explosion that targeted the region of Roueis in the Beirut’s Southern Suburbs
triggered a chain of reactions amongst the Lebanese officials.
"Caretaker
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel stressed that a plan may be set forth in
order to maintain security and to avoid further blasts in the Beirut Southern
Suburbs," sources told LBCI.
For his part, the Vice President of the
Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan denounced the explosion
that targeted Beirut’s Roueis region and called on officials to work seriously
in order to unite their positions.
This
as Caretaker Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi stressed that investigations into
the Roueis explosion are underway, adding that "serious" measures will
be undertaken after a group calling itself the Aisha Brigades claimed
responsibility for the attack in a video posted on YouTube.
"Initial information indicated that a suicide bomber blew himself up since
the car bomb was found in the middle of the road," caretaker Interior
Minister Marwan Charbel said.
For his part, Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted House Speaker Nabih
Berri, expressing his condolences to the relatives and families of the victims
who died in the explosion.
Hariri stressed the importance of uniting efforts to ward off risks that are
threatening Lebanon, and address the causes of this continuous tension in the
country.
In
turn, caretaker Agriculture Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan said that today, the
16th of August 2013, marks the victory of Lebanon and the Resistance against
the "Jewish enemy", and said: "the perpetrators will not change
the convictions of the Dahiyeh residents nor that of the Resistance".
Minister Hajj Hassan also said that the
Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will deliver a speech
today in the southern region of Aita al-Chaab, noting that the Resistance will
triumph over terrorism.
For his part, Hezbollah MP Ali Ammar stressed
that the death toll had climbed to 24, with 250 wounded, denying the presence
of any Hezbollah posts in the region where the explosion detonated, "which
confirms that the blast targeted the
civilians".
This as Change and Reform Bloc MP Alain Aoun said
the explosion has terrorist aims, adding that the continuous Syrian crisis does
not justify the attack.
In
the same context, Pastor of the Mar Mikhael Parish, Reverent Father Salim
Makhlouf denounced the attack on Beirut's Roueis region, stressing that
"the killing of innocent people is unjustifiable regardless of the
circumstances."
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