Snipers Shoot at Peaceful Protesters Heading to Rally against Politicizing Beirut Port Blast Investigations

By Staff

Tension in Lebanon prevails across the Tayouneh Roundabout - Badaro region, with ongoing sporadic shooting amid the deployment of army units in the area.

Shooting was recorded as Hezbollah and Amal Movement supporters were heading towards the Palace of Justice to hold a peaceful rally, which resulted in injuries.

At least one martyr has been reported, and several others sustained critical injuries amid fears that the number of casualties would rise.

As ambulances rushed to the Tayouneh area to transfer the victims, Lebanese security forces and an army Commando unit were deployed near the Palace of Justice, and Lebanese Army fortifications were sent to Tayyouneh area after the renewal of shooting.

According to al-Mayadeen network, the Lebanese Army arrested at least one sniper among those who were shooting on the peaceful demonstrators heading to protest in Beirut.

Relatively, and exceptional meeting for the Central Security Council will be held at 13:00 and will be headed by Lebanese minister of interior.

After several casualties were reported, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called people for calm and to avoid taking the country to discord.

The peaceful rally was organized for Thursday, 11:00 in front of the Palace of Justice to denounce politicizing the investigations in the Beirut Port Blast case.

Later, the Lebanese Army Command issued a statement saying that: "As protesters headed to the Adliya area, they were exposed to live fire in the Tayouneh area – Badaro. The army hastened to cordon off the area and deployed in the neighborhoods and its entrances."

On Wednesday, Lebanese Member of Parliament from the Loyalty to Resistance bloc, Hassan Fadlallah, lambasted the US intervention in the issue of Beirut Port Blast, labelling it as intimidation.

The Hezbollah MP added that the US State Department’s rejection of claims about politicizing the judiciary aims to avert the return of investigations to their track, and to ban the Lebanese officials from getting those investigations out of the circle of politicization.

“This American stance reflects part of the direct American intervention in the investigation to change its right track and keep it inside the circle of American politicization to settle account with the Resistance,” Fadlallah warned.