Jbeil Mosque Attack Draws Condemnations

An attack at a mosque in the northern town of Jbeil drew nationwide condemnations on Saturday.

A group of young men attacked on Friday the Sultan Ibrahim bin Adham Mosque in Jbeil, and assaulted and beat up the Sheikh who calls for prayers.

The municipality of Jbeil-Byblos condemned, in a statement, "the attack on the mosque in Jbeil by a group of young men."

The statement thanked the competent security authorities for taking swift action against the attackers.

Grand Sunni Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan’s office issued a statement that “Daryan is following up on the incident,” and that he called upon “competent authorities to investigate what happened, to reveal the truth.”

Early Saturday morning, angry protesters blocked Al-Nour main square in Tripoli with burning tires denouncing the attack.

Mufti of Jbeil, Sheikh Ghassan Lakkis condemned the incident, describing it a “brutal assault.”

Former PM, Najib Miqati, who hails from Tripoli, said: “A Christian-Muslim position must be issued to contain the incident and prevent exploitation attempts. Lebanon can not bear a new crisis or a strife," he said.

LBCI TV station later said that one of the attackers handed himself in to the police.