SIDON, Lebanon: Sidon’s rival officials blasted an assault by the Hezbollah-linked Resistance Brigades a day earlier on security forces in one of the city’s neighborhoods, as authorities managed to arrest the suspect involved in the fighting.
“We denounce and fully condemn this assault on the [Internal Security Forces] Information Branch in the area of Taamir,” Sidon MP Bahia Hariri said in a statement.
In the Taamir neighborhood, which lies just outside Sidon’s Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp, the ISF’s Information Branch Thursday clashed with members of the Resistance Brigades.
The unit was attempting to arrest Palestinian national Adnan Mahmoud Ahmad, who had reportedly been involved in a confrontation with Mahmoud Antar, a Lebanese, after the latter fled to Taamir.
However, the ISF unit was intercepted by members of the Resistance Brigades, leading to a shootout.
Ahmad sought refuge at a shop belonging to the father of Mohammad Dirani, a Brigades member, but security forces were able to arrest him Thursday night after bringing in reinforcements from Beirut.
Hariri expressed her support and solidarity with the state’s institutions and praised the camp’s residents for not getting involved in the clashes.
Hariri’s comments were echoed by her rival, Popular Nasserite Organization head Osama Saad.
Saad said in a statement that the incident could reflect negatively on the security situation in Sidon and the neighboring areas.
For his part, Sidon’s former Mayor Abdel-Rahman Bizri also blasted the attack, saying such incidents were the result of people undermining the security and safety of local residents, describing Sidon as a sensitive area.
Bizri added that he hoped the various problems obstructing the maintenance of security in the area would be resolved soon.
The Lebanese Army set up a checkpoint Thursday night at the entrance to Taamir to inspect all vehicles and passersby, while Palestinian factions in the camp dispatched patrol units to avoid any further escalation and prevent any wanted persons from sneaking into the camp.
Ain al-Hilweh is the largest camp for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and the area has seen a deterioration in security.
The situation in the neighborhood was calm Friday.
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