Cautious Calm in Sidon as Clash Victims Laid to Rest
Cautious calm prevailed in the southern port city of Sidon on Monday amid heavy deployment by the army after a gunbattle erupted between Hizbullah supporters and Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir in the Taamir Ain al-Hilweh neighborhood.
Schools and shops closed as the city mourned the killing of three people during the armed clashes, which also wounded seven others.
Asir decided to bury two of his supporters at al-Karama roundabout, the site of the month-long sit-in he had held earlier this year.
"Your blood is not less valuable than the blood of any Muslim," Asir said as his bodyguard Lobnan al-Ezz and loyalist Ali Samhoun were laid to rest.
Security sources told As Safir newspaper that the situation in the southern city requires imposing a state of emergency or declaring it a military zone.
According to the sources, the cabinet session that will be held at the Grand Serail on Wednesday will tackle the situation in Sidon.
The daily said that several security figures, who attended an emergency security meeting presided by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel on Sunday night, demanded the arrest of Asir after obtaining the necessary political cover for such an endeavor.
However, Charbel wondered about the repercussions of the issue on the local situation.
"There will be no security compromises after today. The army will open fire on anyone holding a weapon," Charbel said during the meeting.
On Friday, Asir gave an ultimatum to Hizbullah supporters in the city to take down all posters promoting the party. But they “rejected” prompting the Salafist cleric and his supporters to head to the Taamir neighborhood and rip down a poster of Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The Army Command issued a statement saying military units have launched raids aimed at arresting the shooters in Sidon, warning that its troops will deal “firmly and forcefully with any gunmen who appear on the streets regardless of their affiliation.”
over 11 years
What you said in addition to the ..."Labayeka Ya Hussien" mentality IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD MY FRIEND.
I hoped you were going to say "Labayka ya Lubnan"
over 11 years
3assir or bearded juice, was imprisoned in the gulfi states of WahabiStAN
they let him loose on 1 condition, to stir & create problems in Lebanon, thou they call him Sheikh
over 11 years
Your imam is not the imam of the muslims, sunis are 90 percent of muslims dude. Take your garbage mentality elsewhere. You can celebrate ur ashoura in ur OWN Areas not in suni saida, and not after you killed hariri and wissam el hassan. Your hizzie dogs should stay out of the city.
over 11 years
@theresistance, also know that the average Sunni around the world consider the Shia religion as full of bidah and shirk, but we will not attack peaceful Shia. Hussein(ra) was not Shia, in fact you know in your own history that it was his Shia traitor followers that killed Hussein. Instead of Labayeka Ya Hussein, why don't you say Labayeka Ya Allah? Why do you say Hussein more than Allah(swt)? Shirk! Learn Tawheed brother.
over 11 years
It was bound to happen... Both sides are acting like outlaws... One side, Hizbollah terror gang, the real outlaws, act as if they own the country and the other is sick and tired of it... The worst is yet to come...
over 11 years
u can stay argueing for ever,,everybody is seeing the picture from his side,the only viable solution is the ARMY.
hizbzllah can start a civil war , he will defitely not going to lose,but definitely not winning,hassan already lost the sunni hariri and has a sunni wahhaby around him,give all ur arms whether its farsi or wahhaby to the army that is the only DELIVERANCE.
N.B. i am sunni by name, but lebanese by heart,and i dont want to be a refugee somewhere.....
over 11 years
Farsi Motormouth once again talking out of his rear.....
over 11 years
shame on Lebanon and the Lebanese.. looking at this man and his followers one is disgusted by all that is Muslim. I am sure that this is the idea behind creating this monster. He sprung put of no where!! Follow the money?? distinguished stench of GAZOLINA
over 11 years
How about the murder of hariri, 3eedo, 3eed, al hassan for starters?? Your weapons will kill you, i know you are too donkey to see that. Revenge is coming from Syria, the Syria that your thugs are killing its people.
over 11 years
I don't agree with Sheikh Assir and his tactics but he and his followers were unarmed...
over 11 years
Al Asir is the only Sunni with balls in lebanon
what he did in Saida is way past due and will soon start happening in other places too.
That's the price to pay when you liquidate, threaten and silence moderate Sunnis. Talk crap about salafists as much as you want, their strength today is a result of Shia tyrany and the assassination of moderate Sunnis and once they're done with bashar they will start with the Bekaa and down to the South and even dahyieh. Car bombs, assassinations and the like are coming your way, and don't go blame anyone but yourself.
over 11 years
My support for M14 is influenced by their love for life and moderation. Extremism has no place in Lebanon and let us not confuse fanaticism with having Balls. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth and as we have already witnessed over 15 years of Civil war Lebanon has become blind and toothless. Let us focus on positive energy and work on building a State. It might seem impossible but it is the winning strategy over the long haul.
over 11 years
beautiful words but for a different age and time.
today, he who has balls is the one that is heard.
peaceful sheeps can run and hide in Paris and Saudi...
over 11 years
Hahaha this piece of shit (and rightfully so)is going to put the whole south in deep shit. His balls are way bigger than the rat nasrallah. If Saida turns salafist you're going to beg the israelis to occupy your sorry ass again.
over 11 years
He found the path to god. anything wrong with that? I wish Aoun would actually believe in God... or Hezbollah. They just take God hostage, label him with a Kalashnikov, nonetheless, the 1947 model.
over 11 years
اكد عدم وجود "حصانة على أحد ولا أمن بالتراضي" .. لوووووووووووووووول.
اكبر سخيف Is the one who blv in such stuff!!
wlk Yallaaaaaaaaaaaaa Denye Seybi
Let's hope the calm will prevail.