Hale: Security Institutions are Key Pillar of the State, Only Legitimate Security Force in Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
United States Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale noted on Friday that the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Beirut on Tuesday is a reminder of the “importance of an independent and sovereign Lebanon.”
He said via Twitter on the occasion of Lebanon's Independence Day: “Security institutions are a key pillar of the state and only legitimate security force in Lebanon.”
“True independence is constant work by dedicated people. I am sure many Lebanese share this view,” Hale added, while praising the courage and determination of the Lebanese army.
“The United States' partnership with the Lebanese people will remain strong and unwavering,” he remarked.
Twenty-five people were killed and more than 145 others were wounded in twin blasts that took place on Tuesday morning near the Iranian Embassy in the neighborhood of Bir Hassan in Beirut's southern suburbs.
A security official said the first suicide attacker was on a motorcycle that carried two kilograms of explosives. He blew himself up at the large black main gate of the Iranian mission, damaging the three-story facility.
Less than two minutes later, the second suicide attacker driving a car rigged with 50 kilograms of explosives struck about 10 meters away, the official said.
The al-Qaida-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying they were aimed at pressuring Iran's ally Hizbullah to withdraw its fighters from Syria.