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Hezbollah said at least two people were killed in the Calder attack because the army is being deployed to curb sectarian tensions.
The organization said an unidentified gunman in the Lebanese town of Calder killed at least two people at the funeral of the Hezbollah commander who was killed a day earlier.
Lebanon’s most powerful armed group, Iran-backed Hezbollah, stated that two of the mourners were confirmed to have died in the planned ambush and called on security forces to restore security in coastal towns south of Beirut and hunt down the perpetrators.
Local media said that as many as four people may have been killed in the ensuing conflict. The local television network showed images of armed youth rampage in the area.
The Lebanese military said in a statement that they have deployed in Khaldeh to control the tension after the violent fire including rocket-propelled grenades, intimidate residents and bring traffic to a standstill. The gunman is still at large.
The Lebanese military warned in a statement that its forces would shoot at anyone “carrying guns on the streets of Harold.”
At the moment of filming the funeral procession of young people,#Ali_Shibli, exist,#Khaldeh#Ali_Shibli#klhd pic.twitter.com/OjuXATUAOi
— LEB News🇱🇧 (@HusseinS2004) August 1, 2021
Lebanese media reported that the violence stemmed from a personal vendetta. A man from the Khaldeh Sunni Arab tribe shot Hezbollah fighter Ali Chebli at a club wedding on Saturday night.
Chebli’s murderer was arrested, and his family interpreted the attack as revenge. They accused Chebli of killing their 15-year-old relative in a shooting a year ago.
The family from a Sunni Arab tribe said in a statement that the authorities never brought Chebli to justice because he was protected by the powerful Hezbollah organization.
A Hezbollah official told the Associated Press that the gunman ambushed Chebli’s funeral procession when it arrived home, opened fire on the mourners, killed his brother-in-law and a friend, and wounded others.
The official requested anonymity because he has no right to brief reporters. The army was deployed to ease tensions and release family members who were hiding in the house with their bodies.
Video of the blockbuster shooting in Hallard circulating
Due to tensions in the area, the road from Khaldeh to Beirut is currently closed. pic.twitter.com/DkFLO1WQRt
-Lebanon News and Updates (@LebUpdate) August 1, 2021
The prime minister-elect Najib Mikati called on the head of the army to strengthen its security presence in the town, which is located on the coastal road to the south of the country.
President Michel Aoun stated that this situation “does not allow any security incidents that may increase sectarian tensions”.
The sectarian conflict in the region was triggered last year after a controversy over the Shiite religious flag in the Sunni Arab tribal area.
A group of Arab Sunni tribes in Lebanon also issued a statement saying that they did not want to be involved in armed confrontation, but blamed the violence on Hezbollah and accused Hezbollah of inciting sectarian tensions.
The Lebanese army patrols a street in Khaldeh where sectarian tensions have escalated [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters]
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