Intelligence Meeting over Security Concerns Ends Militants” Immunity
Senior Lebanese intelligence officials as well as representatives from Hizbullah, Amal and Mustaqbal movements agreed during an overnight meeting to lift the immunity of militants after Beirut clashes left more than 30 people wounded.
The meeting comprised of Brig. Gen. George Khoury, head of the army”s intelligence service, Brig. Ghassan Salem, police chief Brig. Gen. Ashraf Rifi, Brig. Ghassan Salem, director general of the Internal Security Forces as well as representatives from Hizbullah, Amal and Mustaqbal movements, Wafiq Safa, Ahmed Baalbaki and Khaled Shehab respectively.
The conferees agreed to establish contacts “on the ground” to prevent renewal of clashes that pitted Amal activists against MP Saad Hariri”s followers in several neighborhoods of West Beirut.
Representatives of Hizbullah, Amal and Mustaqbal also agreed to lift the immunity of “any violator” and vowed to maintain contact with one another in an effort to ease the tense situation.
Unknown assailants tossed a concussion grenade at the offices of Druze leader Walid Jumblat”s Progressive Socialist Party in Beirut”s Musaitbeh neighborhood late Sunday. No casualties were reported.
Also Sunday night, a Lebanese army soldier was wounded when a military checkpoint at the entrance to the northern Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared came under fire.
Security sources said unknown attackers opened fire form automatic weapons around 10 pm. Exchanges of gunfire followed the attack which prompted army troops to launch house raids in the area where the shooting took place.
Earlier Sunday, two people were wounded in a shootout near the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila.
It was not immediately clear who fired or what caused the clash, but a police official said two people — a Palestinian and a Lebanese — were lightly wounded and taken to the nearby Makassed hospital for treatment.
The official National News Agency reported a shootout between a group of Palestinians and Lebanese.
NNA said army troops stepped in to restore order. No further details were given on the cause of the clash, but NNA said the gunmen fled to an unknown location.
Clashes have become common in recent weeks as tensions escalate between warring Lebanese factions and Lebanon”s 15-month-old political crisis deepens.
On Saturday night, at least 20 people were wounded in clashes between supporters of Hariri”s Mustaqbal Movement and followers of Hizbullah and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri”s AMAL movement in west Beirut”s districts of Ras al-Nabaa, Bechara al-Khoury, Barbour, Nweiri and Tariq Jedideh.
The area in the past week has been the scene of sporadic clashes between pro-government supporters and activists of the Hizbullah-led opposition, backed by Syria and Iran.
After the Sunday violence, the military command warned against further clashes and pledged firm action.
“The army command warns of the dangerous situation and will act firmly against anyone who tries to destabilize security,” a military communiqué said.
Seven people were killed last month when protests against power cuts in south Beirut”s Mar Mikhael-Shiyah district degenerated into violent riots, prompting Lebanese troops to open fire.
Picture: A Lebanese shop owner stands outside his burnt-out computer store that was destroyed during Saturday night”s street clashes in Beirut”s Basta district. (AFP/ANWAR AMRO)