EAST LEBANON: 8 Hurt in New Suicide Blasts in al-Qaa after Pre-Dawn Bombings Kill 5, Wound 15      

27/6/2016

Bekaa Valley: Fresh suicide bombings rocked the eastern border town of al-Qaa on Monday evening, injuring eight people, only hours after four suicide bombers killed five people and wounded 15 others in the town before dawn.

In the latest violence, three suicide bombers riding motorcycles blew themselves up in the center of the predominantly Christian town, a security source told AFP.

One struck in front of a church and the two others in front of the municipality building, the source added.

Lebanese Red Cross chief George Kettaneh said eight people were lightly wounded in the evening bombings.

"Clashes are ongoing on the outskirts of the village between the Lebanese army and armed groups," a security source said.

Military sources confirmed to LBCI television that four blasts rocked al-Qaa in the evening and that no one was killed other than the attackers.

“The Airborne Regiment is staging raids in the town and the nearby areas and it urges al-Qaa's residents to stay in their homes,” the sources added.

In the pre-dawn attack, five people were killed and fifteen others were wounded when four suicide bombers targeted the town.

The suicide explosions struck at 10 minute intervals.

"The first attacker knocked on one of the homes in the village, but after the resident became suspicious, he blew himself up," a military source told AFP.

"People began gathering at the site of the explosion and the three other suicide attackers blew themselves up," he added.

A security source had said earlier that a bomb had exploded and then "more than one suicide bomber blew themselves (up)."

The Lebanese army said in a statement that the “first explosion took off at 4:20 am where a suicide bomber detonated himself close to one of the houses in the town. Three suicide explosions followed but at different interval in a street adjacent to the first.”

The statement added that the attackers were wearing explosives belts that weighed two kilograms each.

"At least eight killed including three suicide bombers, and 15 others injured," Georges Kettaneh, the general secretary of Lebanese Red Cross, told AFP.

He said 15 other people were wounded, including some in critical condition.

The victims were transported to the Hermel Governmental Hospital, NNA said.

Three Lebanese soldiers who were stationed in the area were wounded and transported to the hospital, said NNA.

The agency listed the names of those who were killed in the pre-dawn attack as Faysal Aad, Joseph Lebbos, Majeb Wehbe, Bulos al-Ahmar and George Fares.

Those wounded were transported to the Batoul Hospital in Hermel and were identified as Khalil Wehbe, Bassel Matar, Milad Matar, Shadi Mokalled, Marwan Lebbos and Dunya Shahoud.

An AFP correspondent in the village said security forces had cordoned off the site of the blasts, which lies on a main road linking the Syrian town of al-Qusayr to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

The road cuts through a residential area in the center of Al-Qaa, and the explosions took place less than 100 meters from the village church.

"Al-Qaa is the gateway to the rest of Lebanon, and here we stopped a plan for a much bigger explosion," said al-Qaa mayor Bashir Matar.

He confirmed that the second and third suicide attackers detonated their explosives "as people gathered to treat the wounded."

"We chased the fourth attacker and shot at him, and he blew himself up," Matar said.

Resident Fadi Bsherrawi said he woke up when he heard the first blast, but went back to sleep thinking it was just fighting near the border.

"I really woke up to the sound of the second attack," he told AFP.

He spoke with neighbors after the attack who told him that one Muslim resident was having a morning meal before beginning his day of fasting for Ramadan when he saw a strange group of men outside.

"He went outside to talk to them and they wanted to stir things up. So his son fired on them with a hunting rifle" before the explosions started, Bsherrawi said.

Local paramedics began to arrive after the first suicide attack.

"One rescue worker who was trying to carry a wounded man was killed when the second terrorist suicide bomber came," he said.

"We have guards all the time. The village is always ready and people are on edge," he added.

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour ordered all hospitals to receive people wounded in the bombings and treat them at the ministry's expense.

Media reports said that the Lebanese army cordoned off the blast scene and kicked off 'combing operations' in search for suspects.

Al-Qaa is one of several border posts separating Lebanon and war-torn Syria.

The border area has been rocked by clashes and shelling since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011.

Lebanon's army has fought off jihadist factions along the frontier and has sought to clamp down on local cells operating in the area.

In August 2014, the army clashed with the Islamic State group and Al-Nusra Front, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria, in the border town of Arsal.

As they withdrew, IS and Al-Nusra kidnapped 30 Lebanese soldiers and policemen, 16 of whom were released after nearly 18 months of negotiations.

Salam Calls for Army Support to Thwart 'Evil' Schemes

Prime Minister Tammam Salam denounced on Monday the bombings that killed several people in the northeastern town of al-Qaa, and stressed that the only way to confront assaults is by backing the Lebanese army and security forces in their fight against terrorism.

“This terrorist attack is a proof that our stability is targeted by the evil forces of darkness and the only way to enforce it is by standing united behind our army and security forces in their battles against terrorism,” said Salam in a statement.

“The facts revealed by this crime, whether in terms of the number of culprits or the method of implementation, show the evil nature of the schemes planned for Lebanon and the size of the danger threatening the country at a difficult stage at the internal and regional levels,” added the PM.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the “utmost vigilance to thwart these schemes.”

Monday's deadly attack struck al-Qaa, a predominantly Christian village nestled in a hilly border area shaken by violence since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011.

At least four suicide blasts hit the village before dawn, media reports said.

Nine people were killed, including four suicide bombers, and 15 others were wounded.

A statement from the army said at least four soldiers were wounded in the string of attacks, which the National News Agency reported took place at 10 minute intervals.

Lebanese Officials Denounce al-Qaa Bombings

Following the successive suicide bombings early Monday that hit the town of al-Qaa near the volatile border war-ravaged Syria, several politicians denounced the attacks and described them as an act of terror.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement chief and ex-PM Saad Hariri said in a statement: “The terrorist operation that targeted the Bekaa town of al-Qaa is an episode in a series of hellish plans to spread the Syrian fire (war) to neighboring countries, and the dissemination of chaos and havoc on the rest of the communities.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said via Twitter that the suicide attackers were hiding in the northeastern border town awaiting to be transported to another Lebanese region to carry out their plan.

He said: “Al-Qaa was not the target plan. The suicide attackers were hiding in the town and waiting for a vehicle to transport them to another place.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat meanwhile warned that terrorist attacks might move from the border to the heart of the country, noting that "it is better to immunize the institutions through the election of a president."

Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil for his part visited the border town and said that the attack “is targeted against entire Lebanon, not only against al-Qaa.”

“Terrorists belong to all nationalities and I cannot link terrorism to an entire people or identity, but we cannot remain silent over the refugee crisis, which is being used as a cover for terrorism,” he added, in response to a reporter's question.

“The same as Lebanon is Europe's first line of defense, al-Qaa is Lebanon's first line of defense,” Bassil went on to say, urging the government to “do a lot more” to fend off the terrorist threat.

FPM founder MP Michel Aoun for his part said that "the real condemnation is not for the brainwashed individuals who blew themselves up but rather for the nations that plotted, financed, displaced and pushed the region into the inferno."

In a statement issued after its weekly meeting, the political bureau of the Kataeb Party called for “enhancing the capabilities of the army and security forces,” noting that the attack is part of “the continued attempt to drag Lebanon into the region's blazes.”

“It also refutes Hizbullah's claim that it is protecting Lebanon and the Lebanese through its involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria,” the politburo added.

Earlier in the day, Economy Minister Alain Hakim said via Twitter: “We will not let terrorism use al-Qaa as a mailbox to pass messages. The Christians will remain in their land until the end of time.”

Arab Tawhid Party leader Wiam Wahhab meanwhile said in a statement: “The attack is a cowardly act,” and called on “the military and security apparatuses to intensify efforts in order to thwart an opportunity for those who plan to target the country's security and stability.”

Minister of Displaced Alice Chabtini for her part urged each citizen to be vigilant for any suspicious acts, she said: “We are all responsible for the safety of the country and the citizens. Each one of us must be a watchman.”

Ghazi Zoaiter, Minister of Public Works and Transport, visited the scene of the explosion and said: “Lebanon is being targeted by the terrorists, but today al-Qaa has paid the price on behalf of all Lebanese. Strengthening the army's capabilities is necessary.”

“The terror operation in the town of al-Qaa should only make us more strong and convinced of the national unity which must be above all considerations,” said MP Talal Arslan in a tweet.

Monday's deadly attack struck al-Qaa, a predominantly Christian village nestled in a hilly border area that has been shaken by violence since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011.

At least four suicide blasts hit the village before dawn, media reports said.

Nine people were killed, including four suicide bombers, and 15 others were wounded.

A statement from army said at least four soldiers were wounded in the string of attacks, which the National News Agency reported took place at 10 minute intervals.

Hizbullah Slams 'Politicians who Justify Terror' after al-Qaa Blasts

Hizbullah on Monday condemned the dawn suicide bombings that rocked the northeastern border town of al-Qaa, lashing out at countries that “offer support” for “these terrorist murderers” and “some Lebanese politicians who launch justifications and excuses.”

“This crime is a new result of the terrorist, obscurantist thought that is spreading in the region like a plague and which has started to pose a major risk to its people,” said Hizbullah in a statement.

“It threatens Lebanon and its people without differentiation and regardless of sects and affiliations,” the party warned.

The bombings are also “the product of the clandestine and public support that is being offered by some countries and entities in the region and the world to these terrorist murderers in terms of arming, media assistance and political protection,” Hizbullah added.

It called for “combating this takfiri thought forcefully through exposing its goals and plots and preventing its spread and proliferation, unlike what is being done by some politicians and their entourage in Lebanon.”

These politicians “are conducting the biggest misinformation campaign to conceal the ugliness of this malicious thought,” Hizbullah charged.

“They are launching political statements that are full of justifications and excuses in a bid to cover up for the atrocities that are being committed by these terrorists,” it added.

Al-Qaa and the nearby Ras Baalbek are the only two towns with a Christian majority in the predominantly Shiite Hermel region, where Hizbullah holds sway.

The group has sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to bolster President Bashar Assad's forces against rebels and jihadist extremists trying to topple him.

Several deadly bombings have targeted Hizbullah's strongholds in the eastern Bekaa region and Beirut's southern suburbs since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. Most of the attacks were claimed by extremist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

The attacks killed scores of civilians and wounded hundreds.

Al-Rahi Urges Officials to 'Spare Lebanon More Tragedies' after al-Qaa Blasts

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi urged unity in the wake of the deadly suicide blasts that rocked the eastern border town of al-Qaa, calling on Lebanese officials to “spare Lebanon more tragedies.”

On a pastoral visit to the United States, the patriarch expressed his “extreme sorrow over the bombings that the hand of terror carried out once again on Lebanon's soil and in the dear town of al-Qaa.”

“It is a town of peace, love and coexistence and its sons have once again rescued the lives of a lot of innocents,” he added.

Calling on citizens to “return to their national unity and solidarity to confront the terrorist schemes that are being plotted against Lebanon,” al-Rahi urged Lebanese officials to “shoulder their national responsibilities in order to spare Lebanon more tragedies.”

The patriarch also saluted the army and the security forces, urging “further support for them at all levels.”

Al-Qaa is a predominantly Christian village nestled in a hilly border area that has been shaken by violence since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011.

At least four suicide bombers hit the village before dawn, a military source has said.

"The first attacker knocked on one of the homes in the village, but after the resident became suspicious, he blew himself up," the source said.

He said three other suicide attackers detonated their own explosives as people began gathering to treat the wounded. The site of the blasts lies on a main road linking the Syrian town of al-Qusayr to Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.

Lebanon's army has fought off jihadist factions along the frontier and has sought to clamp down on local cells operating in the area.

In August 2014, the army clashed with militants from the Islamic State group and al-Nusra Front, al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria, in the border town of Arsal.

Kaag Condemns Suicide Bombings in Al-Qaa

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag strongly condemned on Monday the four suicide bombings that targeted the northeastern town of al-Qaa, her press office said.

“Kaag strongly condemned the four suicide bombings that took place at dawn this morning in the northeastern Lebanese border town of al-Qaa, which killed five civilians and injured several others,” said the statement.

“The Special Coordinator expressed her profound condolences to the families of the victims and wished a quick recovery to the injured. She noted that terrorist acts, anywhere in the world, constitute one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” it added.

Commending the courage and commitment of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces, Kaag called for “sustained international support to enhance their capacity in the face of security challenges, including the terrorist threat, in Lebanon and along its borders.”

The Special Coordinator stressed the need for those responsible for terrorist acts to be brought to justice, and reiterated that the international community continues to stand by Lebanon.

The Special Coordinator is expected to brief the UN Security Council on 7 July in New York.