BTEDAAI, Lebanon: Heavy gunfire characterised Baalbek's farewell to Sobhi Fakhri Tuesday, a local killed by two individuals from the Jaafar clan over the weekend, amid a lot of anger from residents and officials that the perpetrators remain at large.
The funeral procession of Fakhri was held in a local church in the town of Btedaai, after he succumbed to his wounds early Monday.
MPs Tony Abu Khater and Emile Rahme were amongst the throng of political, religious and local figures who attended the ceremony.
Fakhri’s casket was carried out of the church to the sound of gunfire, as mourners grieved his loss before laying him to rest in the family cemetery.
“There is no alternative for the state that knows exactly who carried out the crime,” Shawqi Fakhri, a prominent member of the family, said during the procession.
He added that the state could ensure the area’s security by detaining the perpetrators of the crime and called on the Jaafar clan to hand over those responsible.
The uncle of the alleged perpetrators, Ali Hatem al-Jaafar, stopped short of agreeing to hand over his nephews, but did say that “given the accident we place ourselves in the hands of the al-Fakhri family and we are prepared to [meet] any of their requests.”
During the funeral procession, Khater spoke on behalf of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, condemning the lax security in the Baalbek area and calling on the government to tighten its grip on the region.
“This chaos has led to the catastrophic and grave crime of assaulting and killing civilians inside their homes,” he said.
Rahme called on the government to crackdown on the perpetrators as soon as possible.
Hezbollah MP Nawar Sahli condemned Fakhri’s killing - the first official condemnation delivered by the party since the incident occurred.
Sahli called on “security forces to speed up measures and beef up efforts to seize the perpetrators, who represent no one but themselves.”
The Hezbollah MP also called on the area's residents to maintain calm and abstain from portraying Baalbek as an area riddled with sectarian strife.
The fact that the Fakhri family is Christian and was attacked by members of the Shiite Jaafar clan has raised fears of heightened sectarian tensions.
All three MPs joined lawmakers from Hermel and Baalbek in a meeting held by Army commander Maj. Gen. Jean Kahwagi earlier Tuesday, over security in the north Bekaa.
Rahme said that Kahwagi was intent on pursuing the criminals until they are caught and referred to the judiciary.
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