Residents of Anqoun blocked the road leading from their village to Maghdoushe and set fire to trees in the area. (Credit: Sarah Abdallah/L’Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT – Violence erupted in South Lebanon on Sunday between residents of the villages of Anqoun and Maghdoushe against the backdrop of crippling fuel shortages that continue to paralyze the country.
Here’s what we know:
• Last week, residents of Anqoun threatened gas station owners in Maghdoushe with knives in an attempt to force them to open their stations and supply fuel, L'Orient-Le Jour reported. Lebanon is grappling with severe countrywide fuel shortages amid the worst economic crisis the country has witnessed since the 1975-90 Civil War.
• Residents of Anqoun attacked residents of Maghdoushe, broke into their houses, smashed vehicles on the street and set fire to nearby trees on Sunday, L'Orient-Le Jour reported. MP Michel Moussa (Amal/Zahrani) told L'Orient-Le Jour that residents of Anqoun had broken into the home of a Maghdoushe resident and attacked him with a knife, seriously injuring him.
• The Lebanese Army intervened toward the end of Sunday afternoon to restore calm to the area.