Report: Robbery, Kidnap-for-Ransom on the Rise in Baalbek
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Bekaa town of Baalbek has witnessed a series of kidnappings for ransom and car robbery over the past year, mainly on the Riyaq-Baallbek and Baalbek-Homs highways, targeting Lebanese nationals and foreigners as well, An Nahar newspaper reported on Saturday
Kidnappings have been recorded on an almost daily basis in the said area and the perpetrators are said to be gangs roving the highways waiting for their next hunt.
In mid February, unknown assailants tried to rob a taxi driver on the al-Teebeh crossroad, they shot at his vehicle when he tried to flee their grip. He was slightly wounded and the assailants went empty handed.
Two young men were also victims to similar acts last Thursday when armed men tried to rob their car on the Labweh highway.
On the same day, two Omani nationals were kidnapped for ransom while they were on their way from the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut to the al-Kayyal area in Baablbek. Five gunmen intercepted their way, took them to western Baalbek but released them afterwards for unknown reasons. Although the assailants are outlaws and wanted, the security forces were unable to arrest them.
The newspaper said that most of the stolen cars are used to execute different crimes or are sold to specialized groups that use them later for similar criminal acts.
The series of assaults threaten Baalbek's security and reflect on its economic and social position, which compelled its municipality to install surveillance cameras in the market and deploy police patrols around the clock.
Despite the precautions taken, the risk remains high on the public roads and by-streets of the area, which is the responsibility of the security forces in charge of maintaining safety.
08 March 2014, 10:08
910
HA strongholds have been for years outside state control. These areas shelter criminals, wanted and known criminals, illegal activities, car theft, kidnappings, cultivating Hasheesh, etc etc. HA claims on one hand it wants a strong country yet it encourages its followers and members to break the law. All these outlaws are known to both the authorities to HA. Nothing can be done because they enjoy HA' protection being Ashraf Al Nass.
08 March 2014, 10:48
910
"Although the assailants are outlaws and wanted, the security forces were unable to arrest them."… really, I wonder why?
08 March 2014, 13:34
95
hizballa is getting poor, they r running out of cash flow for their terrorist operations, whenever one of their terrorist dies in syria, they have to pay his family thousands of dollars.... just like their Hamas cousins do. what else can these poor people do?
abduct people of course...
08 March 2014, 15:12
72
Karim, you know how much I respect you, and will go even further to support your views whenever they convince me, irrespective of what or how others will react to me. But Karim, habibi ya khayye, it looks clear that people like you will always throw back all our problems on the Takfiris and the Syrian opposition, OK, OK khayye fine. But till recently, Lebanon was somehow stable and moving along, till Hezbollah got into that crazy war in Syria, it was then that the can of worms was spilled. I have the urge now to tell that we deport all the Syrian refugees back to Syria, they can now go since you helped the regime secure lands near the border, but at the same time, your arguments don't help, because as always, you keep refusing the wrongs of Hezbollah. I very much hope that along the way, you will begin to realize the futility of such actions. My gentle fraternal nudge to you bro.
08 March 2014, 16:56
106
mowaten: Didn't your parents teach you not to talk when your mouth is FULL of lies?!
08 March 2014, 16:59
69
i hope they dont pay you too much, you're pretty worthless as propagandist icecube.
08 March 2014, 20:15
35
Hi Jerry, it is my duty to respect everyone here, even a self-proclaimed hater like Bani Maarouf. Karim has his views, Mowaten too, City, as does everyone, even the forum jester Bani here who needs to grow has a right to his views. So by all means we are not here to spread the hatred as this will serve no purpose. The main thing is this: I have been debating people like Karim Mowaten, Cityboy, the Roar, FT hence and so forth, did you see them even once behave with me in any kind of indecency, like does that kid Bani Maarouf who has only sentence to start and end with, "Lack of this, lack of that...". I am not here to tell anyone how to debate, but at least whereas it pertains to me, I respect and I get respected in return, albeit a brief period which led to my banning. But as I said, I am not here to spread hatred, then my message is better heard when done with respect, not by shouting, nor by derogating.
08 March 2014, 15:25
42
Now that we have reached that scary number of a million and a half Syrian refugee, now that the Syrian Regime of Bachar Al Assad has literally secured all the vital and pivotal areas adjacent to our border, now that people are more confident to travel to those areas, then the time has now come, for us Lebanese to start pressing for the removal of all the Syrian refugees from our lands and back to Syria. The Syrian regime can set up camps for them inside Syria and receive support from donor agencies to help them, including Iran and Russia. The Lebanese state should also get all those Palestinians who came from Syria to take refuge here, to leave Lebanon at the very earliest. We should as of now seal our borders and refuse entry to any Syrian, only then could we secure our country, seal and secure, simple. Go back home.
08 March 2014, 18:06
52
The only problem here phoenix is that those refugees will be hunted by both Assad and takfiris because they represent the true Syrian opposition. What a dilemma for Lebanon. I would prefer that Lebanon press Gulf Monarchies to absorb them until it is safe for them to return to Syria.
08 March 2014, 16:07
13
Notice, you are the first to comment or spill your idiotic remarks due to the rejection of the society to you? and stuck to the screen, have you thought about your eyes? since your brain cells are shutdown, do you really want the same for your eyes? have mercy on yourself first before re-utilizing the dead brain cells simply because you make no sense about the topic and living in a different world. Try remembering about the #1 terrorist attack in Beirut in 1983 and who set the example of terror since you speak precedence.
08 March 2014, 20:18
34
Bani Maarouf, here's another two-liner for you, grow up!! Sorry man/woman, can't give you more of my time. Grow up.
08 March 2014, 20:21
11
Sure Chopper, good idea, but right now as the saying goes, better see a thousand eyes cry than have one drop from my eye. As a Lebanese, I can't harbor anymore Syrians. As the drawings are getting more permanent in Syria, let the pro Regime people go to the areas controlled by the regime, and the pro FSA, to the FSA controlled areas, but I am worried for the homosexuals, who will take them? Maybe Bani Maarouf can give them refuge, LOL!!
