Relatives of Islamist detainees demonstrate in Tripoli

Relatives of Islamist detainees in the Roumieh prison gathered on Friday in Tripoli across the Mansouri Mosque and headed toward the al-Nour Square calling for the release of the Islamist detainees in the Roumieh prison.              

In this context, Sheikh Mohammad Ibrahim accused the Lebanese authorities of being unfair with the detainees adding that they will keep on protesting until the release of the detainees.                           

It is worth noting that Sheikh Dai al-Islam al-Shahal participated in the demonstration.                             

On May 19, 2007, the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) surrounded a group of Fatah al-Islam militants accused of taking part in a bank robbery earlier that day. The ISF attacked the building the next day, unleashing a day long battle between the ISF and Fatah al-Islam militants on 200 Street, Tripoli. As a response, members of Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp attacked an army checkpoint, killing several soldiers in their sleep. The army immediately responded.                       

The camp became the center of the fighting between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam. It sustained heavy shelling while under siege. The last civilians (25 women and 38 children, the families of Fatah al-Islam members) were evacuated from the camp on Friday August 24, 2007.                                  

The conflict between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam ended on Sunday September 2, 2007 with the Lebanese Army taking full control of the camp after eliminating the remaining terrorist pockets.                        

168 Lebanese army soldiers and 226 militants were killed in the 105 day conflict. Between 400 and 500 soldiers had been wounded and more than 215 militants had been captured.