SIDON, Lebanon: Senior political officials in Sidon are pressing for a security plan to be implemented in the southern coastal city to put an end to the proliferation of arms among local residents.
The demands surfaced following the tragic death of a young pregnant mother of two, who was hit by a stray bullet of celebratory gunfire from her neighbor’s wedding.
The bullet struck Wadia Baidawi, 20, in the head, killing her as she was putting her two children, an 18-month-old and a 3-year-old, to sleep at her home in the neighborhood of Hammam al-Ward, in the old district of Sidon. She was killed instantly.
The incident enraged residents, leading the Army Intelligence to arrest the individuals who were firing shots in the air during the wedding.
The four men arrested were identified as Ahmad B., Ahmad D., Mohammad M. and Mahmoud H. A fifth suspect is still at large.
When she was informed of the incident, Sidon MP Bahia Hariri contacted top security and military officials in south Lebanon, demanding that immediate measures be taken to curb the widespread use of arms in the old district of Sidon and other neighborhoods in light of the danger they posed to residents.
Hariri contacted key security officials in south Lebanon, such as General Prosecutor Samih al-Hajj, the head of Army Intelligence in the area Brig. General Ali Shahrour and the head of the Internal Security Forces in the area Maj. Samir Shehadeh.
“Once again, Sidon is paying the price for the spread of illegal arms, and its residents are not safe, not even in their own homes,” Hariri said in remarks made after the incident.
“It is not acceptable for armed gangs and thugs to breach the security and the stability of the city and threaten the lives of its citizens anymore, regardless of what party they are supporting,” Hariri added. “Though we highly appreciate the Army’s arrest of the suspects, we are demanding that the spread of illegal arms come to an end, and we demand that the Army and the security forces boost deployment in the old district and all areas of Sidon.”
“We only want the arms of the state institutions, its security and military forces, to be present on the streets of Sidon, because they safeguard the lives of residents and provide them with stability and security,” she said.
Hariri’s demands were echoed by Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, which enjoys considerable support in the northern city of Tripoli.
The party’s official in south Lebanon, Bassam Hammoud, issued a statement in which he noted that the practice of firing shots during weddings had increased lately.
“Had the security and military forces treated those incidents with appropriate severity, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
“We demand that the security forces not be lenient with those who think themselves above the law and believe they enjoy political cover that protects them even when they break the law or attack civilians.”
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