Gunmen who Assaulted Officer in Southern Suburbs Might be Handed Over
An Nahar daily said Monday that the suspects involved in the assault on a police officer in Beirut”s southern suburbs might be handed over to Lebanese authorities.
A group of armed men assaulted First Lieutenant Tarek al-Zein on Sunday, confiscating his weapons and showering his vehicle with bullets.
The state-run National News Agency said five armed men surrounded al-Zein as he left the home of some relatives near the Rassoul al-Azam Mosque at 4:30 p.m.
It said the group forced Zein, head of Tyre”s traffic operational command unit, and his driver to surrender their arms and four-wheeler. Their cell phones were also confiscated, NNA said.
Two hours later, the vehicle and stolen items were returned to their owners.
An Nahar said the incident occurred after police attempted to put an end to a building violation of a car showroom in the neighborhood of Sfeir in the southern suburbs.
The showroom belongs to Mohammed Kassab, the brother of Hizbullah”s security committee head in Burj al-Barajneh, An Nahar said.
It quoted ministerial sources as saying the incident "proves that some areas are outside the control of the state" and such behavior is aimed at "tarnishing the image of the state."
"People know what”s going on and they will not keep their mouths shut for long," the sources told the newspaper.
An Nahar said the culprits might be handed over to the authorities after contacts were launched between official sides and the parties involved in the attack.