Ban Condemns Latest “Terrorist” Attack in Beirut

U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the “terrorist” attack which killed four people, including Lebanon”s top anti-terrorism investigator, in eastern Beirut Friday, his press office said. “

 

The Secretary General strongly condemns the terrorist attack today in Lebanon that reportedly killed an officer of the Internal Security Forces” and three others, it said in a statement.

 

Captain Wissam Eid, 31, a member of Lebanon”s Internal Security Forces, and his bodyguard were killed along with two civilians, a Lebanese security official said in Beirut. Thirty-eight other people were wounded, with nine taken to hospital, he added.

 

Another official said Eid was on his way back from a meeting of the U.N. panel probing the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri when he was killed.

 

Ban, who is currently attending the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, reiterated his call “on the people of Lebanon to continue exercising restraint and for those behind this and previous attacks to be brought to justice.”

 

“This latest act of terror should not be allowed to undermine the security, stability and sovereignty of Lebanon,” the U.N. statement said.

 

The Security Council was also considering issuing its own statement slamming the attack.

 

Lebanon has also been the scene of numerous bomb attacks in the past three years, targeting mainly anti-

Syrian personalities.