Saniora Calls on Army to End Armed Presence in Sidon, Impose Curfew in City

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc Fouad Saniora called on Monday on the army to confiscate the arms in the possession of gunmen and impose a curfew in the southern city of Sidon to prevent further deterioration.

“The army must end any armed presence in Sidon, including the Hizbullah-affiliated Resistance Brigades,” Saniora said.

He called on the Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir, without naming him, to hand over those who assaulted the army and to safeguard the people in the city.

Saniora reiterated his solidarity with the army.

At least twelve Lebanese soldiers were killed in less than 24 hours in clashes with supporters of Asir in the Sidon suburb of Abra.

Abra is home to a mosque, Bilal bin Rabah, where Asir leads the main weekly prayers on Fridays. The sheikh believes Hizbullah uses apartments in Abra to keep him under surveillance.

He also says the Lebanese army has provided cover to Hizbullah, whose members are fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's troops against rebels.

Asir was unknown until around two years ago, when he gained prominence for his opposition to Hizbullah and its ally Assad.

The military urged political leaders in Sidon to choose sides and to stand either alongside the army, or with "those who promote strife and the killing of troops".