Hezbollah Member Killed During Wedding, Funeral Attacked By Armed Group

Illustration of Hezbollah army defile. (Wikimedia Commons/khamenei.ir)

JAKARTA - At least three members of the Hezbollah group were killed in an ambush during the funeral of a member of the Hezbollah group, Ali Shibli, on Sunday, August 1, who was killed in an attack at a wedding the day before.

Citing Reuters on Sunday, August 1, three people were shot dead in the city of Khaldeh, where Shiites and Sunnis have long been at odds. Apart from the dead, a number of the injured were taken to the hospital.

Video footage broadcast on Hezbollah's Manar TV channel showed gunfire at a convoy of mourners arriving at the home of a slain member of the Shi'ite group Hezbollah.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, Lebanon's most powerful armed group, in a statement urged authorities to pursue the perpetrators, saying the incident reflected lawlessness and bigotry.

In a subsequent statement, Hezbollah said two mourners were confirmed dead in the ambush it deemed premeditated, while calling on the army and security forces to restore security.

Illustration of a march for Hezbollah supporters. (Wikimedia Commons/robotpolisher)

Meanwhile, the Sunni Arab tribes living in the city said in a statement that they had avenged the death of one of their relatives during previous sectarian clashes in the same area last year.

A Sunni Arab tribal group in Lebanon also issued a statement saying they did not want to be drawn into armed confrontation, but blamed Hezbollah for the problem and accused it of stoking sectarian tensions.

In the aftermath of this attack, Lebanese Prime Minister-appointed Najib Mekati asked the army chief to increase his security presence in the city, which lies on a coastal highway leading to the south of the country.

Meanwhile, citing The Jerusalem Post Monday, August 2, Ali Shibli was shot and killed in a wedding on Saturday night last week in Jiyeh City, south of Beirut, in retaliation for the murder of a Sunni Arab teenager that took place last year.

Initial reports linked the killing to violent clashes between Sunnis and Shiites in Khaldeh City last year, in which Hassan Zaher Ghosn, a Sunni Arab teenager, was killed. A Syrian man was also killed in last year's violence.

Clashes broke out last August in the city of Khaldeh after a poster was put up by Shiites to commemorate Ashura, the martyrdom of Imam Hussein in the 7th century.

Machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) were used in the August battle, which eyewitnesses said lasted four hours. During the clashes, a shopping center called the Shibli Center was shot and set on fire. Shiibli is reportedly the owner of the center. According to Hamas-affiliated Al-Akhbar news, Shibli's house was also targeted by rocket-propelled grenades during the clashes.

Illustration of a Hezbollah supporters parade. (Wikimedia Commons/khamenei.ir)

According to Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar news, Shibli was killed by Ahmed Zaher Ghosn. Some reports suggest that Ahmed is a relative of Hassan and the killing was carried out as revenge by Hassan's family.

Separately, the Sunni Arab tribe to which Ghosn belongs has accused members of the Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah of opening fire. Hezbollah vehemently denied having anything to do with the incident.

"We reiterate our absolute rejection of all kinds of killings and blasphemy against chastity and dignity. We call on the security and judicial agencies to take seriously and arrest the perpetrators, as well as those who participated with the groups responsible (for this attack)," it said. Hezbollah in response to the killings.

Ghosn's family released a statement on Sunday, accusing Chebli of killing Hassan and saying his family had refused to hand him over since last year's killing, according to the NNA.

To note, the division between Lebanese Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon opened after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005. Hezbollah denied any role in assassinating Hariri, Lebanon's main Sunni leader at the time of his death.

Saturday's killings came just days after Lebanese citizens expressed anger in response to pictures and videos of the lavish wedding of the daughter of two Hezbollah-affiliated politicians that leaked on social media, showing politicians celebrating in style while much of Lebanon is suffering from the economic crisis. which is getting worse.

A video circulating of heavy shooting in KhaldehThe road from Khaldeh towards Beirut is currently closed due to the tension in the area. pic.twitter.com/DkFLO1WQRt

— Lebanese News and Updates (@LebUpdate) August 1, 2021