MP Marouni reveals details of the Zahle incident, says city is not Tel Aviv

Member of the Kataeb party parliamentary bloc, MP Elie Marouni stressed on Monday that the security forces arrested six Hezbollah members on Sunday while they were working on extending a communication network in Zahle.

He noted that the residents informed him that a vehicle whose windows are tinted and which does not hold a registration plate was conducting excavation works near Saint Charbel Church in Zahle, adding that residents took to the streets after contacting security forces who rushed to scene and detained the Hezbollah members.          

In a statement to LBCI’s Nharkom Said, MP Marouni said Zahle was neither Tel Aviv nor was it occupied Palestine and therefore does not require "liberation by the Resistance."

“Hezbollah is not allowed to establish another statelet in Zahle,” he said.                

In this context, Marouni stressed that it is unacceptable for five ministers from Zahle to abstain from attending the scene of the said incident and from expressing stances in this regard.                

“The act of 'resistance' must not take place in Zahle or Ksara. It is only required in South Lebanon and against Israel. We received promises from officials that the incident will not be repeated,” Marouni said, adding that the residents of Zahle reacted to Hezbollah’s actions in their city, but did not block any road, nor did they carry out any act that violates security norms.            

MP Elie Marouni had reported to al-Joumhouria Daily that Hezbollah attempted to extend its communications network through the industrial sector of the city, where the residents reported on Sunday evening that several vehicles without registration plates entered the area and kicked off excavation works. He added that the residents immediately called the security forces and army intelligence teams, after they realized that the said workers were members of Hezbollah.