Local Editor
 
Ahmed al-Assir did it: He simply released the sedition's ghost from his cave.
After the failing sit-in in Sidon, al-Assir found no way but to drag the capital of South Lebanon into blood.
The inception was a confrontation with the Lebanese security forces, and later he insisted on covering it by agitating clashes in the city. The Sunday toll was 3 dead and several wounded.

In details, al-Assir's son, Omar, was stopped at a police checkpoint in Sidon and arrested for not having proper registration papers.
Within minutes, five cars carrying al-Assir and his gunmen arrived to the checkpoint and confronted the police, forcing them to release his son.
To cover the incident, al-Assir's militants began firing heavily on residential buildings surrounding Taamer Ain al-Helwe Palestinian refugees camp.
Thus, Hizbullah official in the region was injured as he was helping an Egyptian passerby Ali Sharbini who later passed away.
Meanwhile, security sources told "as-Safir" Lebanese newspaper that "al-Assir's choice for the Taamer area isn't innocent."

"He simply wanted to show force under the pretext of removing ritual Ashura banners," they added, and noted "he seeks from fabricating problems to drag a sectarian strife or a Shiite confrontation with the Palestinians."

Uneasy calm returned to Sidon after the Lebanese Army, backed by armored vehicles, brought in more troops and deployed throughout the city and blocked the roads leading to the site of the shooting. Troops also staged patrols and set up checkpoints to chase gunmen.

In response to Sunday's killings, Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to travel to Sidon to convene an emergency meeting of the city's Central Security Council.

"The authorities will not tolerate tampering with the security of citizens," Mikati said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of Sidon's Central Security Council, Charbel called on rival factions to avoid sectarian speeches that stoked tension.
"The situation in Sidon is charged with sectarian tension. I have warned of this matter when I came to Sidon five months ago," Charbel said.

"I frankly tell everyone to watch for their political and sectarian speeches. I don't know where will that lead," Charbel said. He added that the authorities will no longer allow security by consent after the situation had crossed the red line.

He further confirmed: "The Lebanese Army has instructions from its command to take measures and to open fire on anyone carrying arms. There is no immunity for anyone."

In parallel, the minister revealed that he will propose to the government setting up of "a military zone" in Sidon under the LA's control in order to prevent a recurrence of clashes.

He further clarified that he had asked Hizbullah to remove some of its flags and banners in Sidon to defuse tension and that the party had responded to this demand.

Source: News Agencies, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org