Two soldiers killed in Baalbek clash amid Lebanese army crackdown on drug networks

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Bilal Baradei and Ali Haidar are the latest members of the Lebanese army and the Intelligence Directorate to be killed in the ongoing campaign against drugs and traffickers.

The two soldiers were killed in clashes in the Sharawneh neighborhood of Baalbek, an area known for harboring many individuals wanted by the Lebanese state.

Hours before the confrontation, a wanted man known as Hassouneh Jaafar allegedly attempted to extort merchants in the Baalbek market. He had previously issued threats against the army after the killing of his uncle, Hassan Jaafar, during an earlier clash with the military.

On Tuesday, after the extortion attempt, an Intelligence Directorate unit was sent to raid his home. When the force arrived, it came under fire from Hassouneh Jaafar and others. Two soldiers were killed and three were wounded.

An additional army unit intervened and exchanged fire with the gunmen. Hussein Jaafar, another uncle of Hassouneh, was killed while he fled. A Syrian man was also found dead at the scene.

Hussein Jaafar had previously killed four soldiers and attempted to kill an officer. He was considered one of the most dangerous drug traffickers in the area. Along with his brothers, he formed one of the most notorious groups operating in Sharawneh.

His brother Ali Jaafar was killed in 2019 in a clash with the army, while another brother, Hassan Jaafar, was recently killed in a drone strike carried out by the Intelligence Directorate.

The operation in Sharawneh is part of a broader, ongoing security campaign by the army and the Intelligence Directorate. Institutions and shops in Baalbek closed in mourning for the fallen soldiers.