LDP Member Killed in Qabrshmoun Clashes Laid to Rest

Lebanese Democratic Party member, Samer Abi Farraj, who was killed in Sunday’s Qabrshmoun clashes, was laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown of Baalchmey.

Abi Farraj and another man, Rami Salman, were killed in armed clashes in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun when the convoy of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib was passing through Aley. Both men were bodyguards of the Minister.

Salman was laid to rest on Friday in his hometown of Ramlyieh.

Abi Farraj’s body was moved from the Bshamoun hospital to his hometown in the morning on Saturday where hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their condolences.

On Sunday, Progressive Socialist Party supporters (of ex-MP Walid Jumblat) closed roads in Qabrshmoun to prevent Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil from touring the region. An armed clash erupted between the convoy of al-Gharib and the people who were closing the road to prevent Bassil from passing. Two guards were killed and one person was critically injured.

The two parties have traded blame over the incident, with Gharib and Arslan describing it as an ambush and Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party accusing the minister's bodyguards of forcing their way and opening fire on protesters.