Lebanon army pledges to 'finish with' radical Takfiri sheikh
Iran Press TV
Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:35PM GMT
Lebanon army has pledged to fight until it ‘finishes with’ the Takfiri Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir whose supporters have killed 15 soldiers during clashes in the southern city of Sidon.
"The army has a duty ... to continue its operations until it finishes with the armed men, brings (Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir's) headquarters under control, and arrests the army's attackers," Lebanon Security Cabinet said in a statement after a Monday meeting.
The meeting, chaired by President Michel Sleiman, included the commander of the Lebanese army, ministers and top security officials.
At least 52 people have been so far killed in heavy clashes between Lebanese army and Takfiri supporters of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir in the southern city of Sidon, Lebanon's third-largest city some 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Beirut.
The army says the clashes broke out after Assir's supporters attacked a checkpoint in Abra, a neighborhood of the Sidon coastal city.
The Security Cabinet meeting was convened to study "the progress of military operations after an attack on an army checkpoint" in Abra on the outskirts of the southern Lebanon city of Sidon on Sunday, the statement added.
Assir was unknown just two years ago, but he gained prominence as the spillover into Lebanon from the conflict in neighboring Syria has escalated. The cleric is believed to have hundreds of armed supporters in Sidon involved in the fighting.
On Sunday, the Lebanese army surrounded Bilal bin Rabbah Mosque, where al-Assir preached and was believed to be holed up. The army has sealed off access to the mosque from all directions.
Tension also spread to the north in Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city.
Masked gunmen roamed the city center, firing in the air and forcing shops and businesses to shut down in solidarity with al-Assir.
PG/SS/SL
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