Aoun: Arsal ambush is another episode in a series of incidents

          
Following the Change and Reform bloc's weekly meeting, FPM Leader MP Michel Aoun held a televised press conference on Tuesday and tackled Arsal's incident where two army members were killed last Friday.     

Aoun began by voicing his utmost condolences to the families of the LAF victims, late Major Pierre Bachaalany and First Sergeant Ibrahim Zahraman.     

He then delivered a speech in which he lauded the LAF's role in maintaining stability in Lebanon, stressing that his political party has previously warned several times in regards to areas such as Asral and involving Lebanon in the Syrian conflict.     

According to Aoun, the ambush that targeted the LAF patrol in Arsal is a new episode in the series of incidents that started on March 5th, 7 years ago when Fundamentalists violently invaded Beirut's Achrafieh and attacked the Danish Embassy to protest against Danish caricatures portraying Prophet Mohammad.     

"The Lebanese government should regain its authority in areas such as Arsal, Tripoli among others," Aoun stated.     

"We should not practice the self distancing policy in terms of militants inside the country," he added.     

Aoun emphasized that the LAF does not require a political umbrella to exert its authority within the state and that political covers of militants are unacceptable.      When asked about extra state arms, Aoun said that "the arms of the resistance never targeted the Lebanese Army, stressing that when accidents occurred the culprits were delivered".

"There is a difference between resistance and terrorist arms," he affirmed.    

On the electoral law discussions, Aoun confirmed that stopping at Arsal's incident does not mean that the electoral discussions will not continue.