Naharnet

Military Court Probes Baalbek Attack as Soldiers Come Under Fire Again

State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr launched an investigation into a shooting at the army in the eastern city of Baalbek, an attack that occurred again on Wednesday.

Saqr tasked security agencies and the army's intelligence with carrying out the initial investigation under his supervision and find Tuesday's shooters.

The army said in a communique on Tuesday that several armed assailants opened fire on a military patrol and escaped.

It said three soldiers were also lightly injured when a military checkpoint came under fire at the entrance to Baalbek's al-Sharawneh neighborhood.

The army later arrested several suspects and seized stolen vehicles and a certain amount of drugs during raids on their hideouts.

The search for the assailants continued on Wednesday, but the army again came under fire. It was not clear if there were any casualties.

The National News Agency later reported that the army succeeded in arresting two suspects linked to kidnappings in Lebanon.

It said that an army unity, backed by armored vehicles, raided the Bekaa town of Brital after it received leads on the recent kidnapping and release of pharmacist Wissam al-Khatib.

The unit managed to arrest Hussein Ahmed Saleh and a Palestinian, Mohammed Khrayzat, in the operation.

Al-Khatib was abducted on September 29 as he was opening his pharmacy that lies on the main road of the town of Karak in the eastern district of Zahle.

He was released in his hometown of Kfarzabad in the central Bekaa valley on October 15.


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