Shots Fired in Dispute between Arslan Guard, PSP Official

A dispute between a guard of MP Talal Arslan and a Progressive Socialist Party official escalated into gunfire Wednesday in the town of Choueifat.

“LDP member and MP Talal Arslan’s personal bodyguard Fahd Jadallah Azzam intercepted the head of the PSP Choueifat-Khalde department Marwan Abi Faraj and slammed his car into the latter’s car,” the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa news portal reported.

“Once Abi Faraj got out of the car, Azzam fired five gunshots from his gun towards him,” al-Anbaa added, noting that Abi Faraj “escaped unharmed miraculously.”

Azzam then fled towards Arslan’s palace, leaving behind his cellphone and a firearms license issued by the army’s Intelligence Directorate, al-Anbaa said.

Later on Wednesday, the LDP issued a statement saying the incident occurred after Abi Faraj repeatedly sought to “provoke” Azzam by passing in front of his car several times, noting that the latter is a guard of Arslan’s palace and not a personal bodyguard.

“The guard asked him about the reason behind his provocation, which prompted Abi Faraj to shout in a loud voice, ‘It’s none of your business,’ and to make an insulting gesture with his hand,” the LDP said.

“Abi Faraj and the guard later met for a second time while in their cars on one of the city’s internal roads, during which Abi Faraj intentionally slammed his car into the guard’s car, prompting the guard to exchange shouting with him and to carry a stick that was in the place with the aim of deterring him,” the LDP added.

“At that point, Abi Faraj brandished his gun and opened fire at the guard who responded by firing in the air,” the LDP went on to say.

Arab Tawhid Party leader Wiam Wahhab meanwhile urged everyone “in Choueifat in particular and in Mount Lebanon in general to resort to rationality instead of resorting to weapons upon any dispute.”

“All of Mount Lebanon’s sons reject the use of arms and the army and security forces should be in charge. We reject strife, we reject intimidation and we reject aggression. We want Mount Lebanon to be a safe oasis,” Wahhab tweeted.

Choueifat had witnessed a deadly incident between the PSP and the LDP in the wake of the 2018 parliamentary elections. A PSP supporter was killed in that incident as the assailant reportedly fled to Syria.

In June 2019 another deadly clash between the two parties in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun sparked a 40-day political crisis in the country after two bodyguards of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib were killed in the incident.

The standoff was resolved after a reconciliation was reached between the two parties’ leaders on August 9.