Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Looks like Hezblablabla’s not happy again…

UPDATE:

Naharnet

Heavy Gunbattles in Bekaa Leave 4 Wounded, Woman Injured in Aley Region Shooting

Beirut, 09 Jun 08 - Fighting with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars raged overnight between pro- and anti-government supporters in east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Hospital sources said Monday four people were wounded.

Voice of Lebanon radio station on Monday said at least 50 RPGs and mortar shells fell on Saadnayel and Taalbaya in central Bekaa overnight.

It said fighting subsided at dawn Monday after army troops, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers, deployed in the two embattled towns.

Occasional crackle of machine gunfire and rockets, however, still echoed in Saadnayel and Taalbaya early Monday.

Press reports said the clashes were the result of an “individual incident” after sunset Sunday between residents of Saadnayel and an opposition supporter who fired automatic rifle in the air.

They said Saadnayel residents promptly responded with heavy shooting.

The situation was soon brought under army control when troops stepped in and dispersed the feuding sides, only to explode overnight for no clear reason.

“Everybody’s wondering what the motive is behind the desire to explode the security situation in central Bekaa,” said Voice of Lebanon.

Meanwhile, a verbal quarrel in the mountainous village of Majdel Baana in the Aley region overnight between pro- and anti-government supporters developed into a shooting.

It was not known what touched off the argument between Mahmoud Zuheir Abdel Khaleq from Walid Jumblat’s Progressive Socialist Party and Jad Nazem Abdel Khaleq from Wiam Wahhab’s pro-opposition Tawheed Movement.

News reports on Monday said opposition members from the Syrian Socialist National Party intervened by opening fire on the house of Mahmoud’s father, wounding a woman who was identified as Sally Zuheir Abdel Khaleq.

Security forces swiftly stepped in and contained the incident.

Meanwhile, Majdel Baana residents staged a sit-in demanding that suspects are handed over to authorities.

“Troops raided hideouts of suspects involved in the Majdel Baana shooting and arrested several of them,” an army communiqué said. It said troops also “confiscated arms and ammunition that have been found in their possession.” They were referred to the judiciary, the statement added.

It said army troops have also launched a manhunt for the suspects involved in the “unrest” in Saadnayel and Taalbaya.

In a separate incident, Hizbullah members encircled a police unit from the Internal Security Forces in Kfarshima late Sunday to protest the confiscation of a vehicle for traffic violation.

Breaking:

Beirut, 09 Jun 08, 06:27

Fighting with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars raged overnight between pro- and anti-government supporters in east Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. Press reports on Monday said two people were wounded.
Voice of Lebanon radio station on Monday said at least 50 RPGs and mortar shells fell on Saadnayel and Taalbaya in central Bekaa overnight.

It said fighting subsided at dawn Monday after army troops were able to contain the clashes.

(more details soon…)