One Killed, 35 Fugitives Arrested as Army Widens Bekaa Operation
The Lebanese Army on Tuesday widened a massive operation in eastern Lebanon arresting 35 fugitives, killing a man and injuring another after they ignored orders to stop.
The army is hunting down suspected drug lords behind the killing of four soldiers. On Monday, assailants raked an army convoy with bullets and blasted it with a grenade killing the troops and critically wounding an officer, in an apparent drugs-related ambush in the Bekaa.
Hundreds of troops fanned out between the Bekaa and the Hermel region, further north, setting up checkpoints and raiding the homes of drug barons who for years have operated with near total impunity in the area. Military helicopters flew over the area, an AFP correspondent reported.
An army spokesman told AFP that the raids would continue until those behind the attack were arrested.
"We will raid every region and every location where we have information on suspects," he said. "We have raided a number of homes and detained several suspects wanted in previous cases but they don”t include those behind Monday”s attack."
Several hundred kilograms of poppy seeds used to grow hashish were seized at the home of a suspected drug lord on the run. Soldiers also confiscated large weapons caches in addition to several vehicles, some of which were stolen, the NNA said.
The Lebanese army cordoned off al-Sharawni, a neighborhood in the main Bekaa town of Baalbek, and surrounded the home of Hassan Ali Jaafar, a leading suspect in Monday”s ambush. Later Tuesday the army launched raids in the Baalbek towns of Hawsh Barada, Dar al-Wasaa, al-Amhaziyeh and Saaideh.
The army raided the house of Ali Hussein Zeiter and arrested his sons Hassan and Wael in addition to Ali Hussein Shehadeh-Zeiter, according to the NNA.
Soldiers shot at two men on a motorcycle killing Fayez Ibrahim al-Atrash after his uncle, who was driving, refused to stop at a checkpoint killing.
Jaafar is the brother of Ali Abbas Jaafar, a drug baron who was killed by the army last month after refusing to stop at a checkpoint. He was wanted on a variety of charges, including drug trafficking and attempted murder of soldiers and civilians.
Following his killing, Jaafar”s relatives opened fire at an army vehicle, wounding three soldiers, and Monday”s ambush — which also left a soldier wounded — was widely believed to be a revenge attack.
The Jaafar clan issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the killing of the soldiers but stressed that the army could not raid the homes of "decent people."
The clan also said that it would not harbor any suspects involved in the ambush.
Many residents of the area had fled their homes after the ambush fearing an escalation between the army and the Jaafar clan, but the situation remained relatively calm on Tuesday.
Lebanese officials, including President Michel Suleiman and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, vowed the attack against the soldiers, who were buried on Tuesday, would not go unpunished.
And in a show of support, Lebanese army commander Jean Qahwaji visited his troops in the Bekaa-Hermel area.
All of Monday”s victims were from northern Lebanon. One officer who was critically wounded was identified as Maj. Allam Dunia and was being treated at a Beirut hospital.
The daily As Safir on Tuesday said the armed culprits fled to the barren mountains of Hermel ahead of the army crackdown.
According to information obtained by An Nahar, Hassan Jaafar is said to be the mastermind behind Monday”s ambush. At least three other men are allegedly involved in the attack.
They were identified as M.F.A. from Brital, H.A.G. from Baalbek and A.A. from Hor Taala. An Nahar said Maj. Dunia was the target of the attack.