Intense shootings broke out Thursday in Beirut during a protest organized by Hezbollah against the judge investigating last year’s port explosion, violence that left at least 6 dead and dozens of injured.
The clashes, the worst in the Lebanese capital in years, occurred along the front lines of the civil war waged from 1975 to 1990. They used pistols, automatic rifles and grenade launchers, bringing to mind that conflict. .
Violence and crisis
The gunshots were heard for hours, and ambulances rushed to attend to the victims. Snipers were stationed in buildings. Bullets penetrated apartment windows, schools were evacuated, and residents hid in shelters.
The chaos sparked fears that sectarian violence will resurface in a country already experiencing a host of problems, including one of the world’s worst economic crises in 150 years, the AP noted.
At the moment it is unknown who started the shootings, which began shortly after the protest began. This was organized by the group Hezbollah, backed by Iran, and its Shiite allies from the Movement Amal against the judge Tarek Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the huge explosion that occurred in the port last year. Hezbollah and its allies accuse the judge of singling out politicians for questioning, most of them allies of Hezbollah.
Ongoing investigation
The tensions surrounding the port blast have contributed to Lebanon’s many problems, including a currency collapse, hyperinflation, rampant poverty and an energy crisis that has sparked protracted blackouts.
Officials from the two Shiite parties, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, have lashed out at Bitar for days, accusing him of politicizing the investigation by charging them and citing some officials and not others. They want to be removed from the case.
So far, no Hezbollah officials have been charged in the 14-month probe.
The investigation focuses on the hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate that were improperly stored in a port warehouse and exploded on August 4, 2020. The blast claimed the lives of at least 215 people, injured thousands and destroyed parts of nearby neighborhoods. It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, further devastating a country burdened by political divisions and financial problems.
