REPORT: LAF continue their deployment in Arsal, pursue suspects -...

14^min

Lebanese Armed Forces continue their deployment in the town of Arsal with sources confirming via LBCI that both the head of the municipality Ali Hjairi, his son and Sheikh Mustafa Hjairi whom had issued an edict, or fatwa, calling for the death of the LAF members are wanted for interrogations into Friday's incident.

In this context the Special Forces Regiment Commander Brigadier General Georges Nader arrived to the town to inspect of the progress of the troops. In statements made via the media he confirmed that the residents of Arsal are “family and friends” however said that the LAF would not leave the town until the wanted suspects are arrested.

State Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi said via LBCI that until this hour no arrest warrants into the Arsal incident have been made against the head of the municipality, adding that so far only some accounts have been heard into the events of the incident.

Hoisting Lebanese flags and carrying flowers, a delegation of Arsal students and residents walked towards the entrance of the Bekaa border town where they presented LAF members positioned on checkpoints their offerings of roses and words of encouragement in the wake of the incidents which left two military members dead on Friday.

"Arsal is a town that has laid down several martyrs for the sake of the country and the Lebanese Army; we refuse to be labeled in such a way as to depict us as enemies of the Lebanese army. We call for investigations into the incident," said one student.

School Principle Ibrahim Hjairy, who led the march, said that Arsal citizens and students brought flowers to the LAF to show solidarity with the army.

"The media should depict us, the people of reason in Arsal, we support the LAF with every emotion in our heart," he stressed.

On the measures the armed forces have taken in and around the town, Hjairy warranted the LAF's presence saying that the army has every right to take these precautions, "but we call on it to ease restrictions," he concluded.

In contrast, several residents of the town cut off the roads of Arsal in protest of the solidarity portrayed by some of its citizens towards the Lebanese Army.

LAF troops were ambushed Friday February 1st, 2013, while trying to detain fugitive, Khaled Hmeid, suspected of involvement in the 2011 kidnapping of seven Estonian tourists. They were abducted in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley and held for nearly four months before being released in July that year.

Some security officials have said that Hmeid crossed the border into Syria over the past months to fight with rebels trying to depose Syrian President Bashar Assad. Many in Arsal, a Sunni Muslim town, are sympathetic to Syrian rebels

These as fears of a Syrian spillover are mounting in Lebanon.

LBCI showed photographs Sunday of uniformed soldiers being held in the municipality building in Arsal. Some of the soldiers had bruises, and others were bloody. Some residents in Arsal have said that the troops who were ambushed were in civilian clothes and using civilian cars. They said they believed they were pro-government Syrian militiamen who crossed the border from Syria to capture Hmeid.

The death of the two soldiers have stirred the emotions of Lebanese Army supporters leading many to cut off roads and burn tires as a reaction to the crimes.

News Bulletin Reports

continue

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deployment

Arsal,

pursue

suspects

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