Cite Sportive Road Blocked over Arrest of Suspect
Demonstrators briefly blocked with burning tires the Cite Sportive road in Beirut on Monday in protest at the arrest of a suspect.
“Security forces reopened the Cite Sportive road … after it was blocked by the relatives of a man from the al-Jezzini family in protest at his arrest,” state-run National News Agency reported.
But al-Jadeed television said the man belongs to the al-Nabaa family, adding that, according to unconfirmed reports, he raised suspicions after a European mobile phone line was found in his possession and that he might be linked to the extremist Fatah al-Islam group.
“The army deployed around the Cite Sportive to prevent any protest after dozens of young men gathered in the area,” al-Jadeed said.
Citing reports, the TV network said “there are fears that the protests might spread from Beirut to Sidon.”
It was not immediately clear if the development is linked to the arrest of a Palestinian national suspected of belonging to an extremist group plotting to carry out a “terrorist act” in Sidon.
According to al-Akhbar newspaper published on Monday, Mohammed A. H. was arrested while he was entering Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.
The Palestinian is a supporter of Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir and he was said to be killed in battles in the Syrian town of Qusayr near the Lebanese border.
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