Tag Archives: lebanon

The Syrian crisis spread to Lebanon. On Friday and Saturday, Sunni and Alawite groups clashed in the city of Tripoli leaving two people dead and 18 wounded. The Lebanese Army moved to restore order.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati said there was no evidence that al Qaeda militants were operating in Lebanon. A blast ripped through a restaurant frequented by tourists and UN peacekeepers in Tyre, drawing wide condemnation from officials and prompting some restaurants in the city to cancel New Year’s Eve events.

Lebanon will not send observers to Syria as part of an Arab League mission, in order to avoid “negative repercussions” in Lebanon from the Syrian crisis. The head of the Maronite Catholic Church has called upon all non-government forces, including Hezbollah, to disarm.

Palestinian officials are concerned that al Qaeda-linked terror groups are on the rise in the Ein al Hilwah camp in Lebanon. Fatah al Islam, Jund al Sham, Asbar al Ansar, and a new group called Ansar Allah are conducting assassinations of Fatah officials while fighting amongst themselves.

Hezbollah has revealed the identities of CIA officers working undercover in Lebanon. France will make a decision on whether to downsize its UNIFIL contingent after the UN finalizes a report on the Lebanon-based forces.

A rocket fired from Lebanon toward Israel fell short, wounding a Lebanese woman. Israeli warplanes flew over south Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut after the failed rocket attack. Both Syria and Hezbollah rejected allegations that they had planned and executed the attack against French UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon.

France’s foreign minister said he believes the bombing that injured five French UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon was carried out by Hezbollah at Syria’s urging. Telecommunications Minister Nicholas Sehnaoui said his group is not opposed to expanding Hezbollah’s telecommunication network as it is “essential in the confrontation with Israel.”

A roadside bomb wounded five French peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Lebanese leaders condemned the attack on the French forces.

Israeli warplanes destroyed one its own clandestine eavesdropping platforms in southern Lebanon after it was discovered by Hezbollah fighters. Two unidentified people were reportedly injured in the airstrike.

The Brigades of Abdullah Azzam, a militant group linked to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for an overnight rocket attack from southern Lebanon against Israel. Two buildings in Israel’s western Galilee area were damaged by the attack.