Armed clashes break out between army and wanted suspects in Bekaa

BEIRUT — Armed clashes broke out Thursday in the village of Dar al-Wasiaa in Baalbeck, between Lebanese soldiers, who were raiding the area in search of a kidnapped man, and a group suspected of involvement in his kidnapping, L’Orient Today’s correspondent in the region reported.

Here’s what we know:

    • The army was looking for a person named Abdallah Nassereddine, who was allegedly kidnapped last August by armed men in the village of Kamed al-Loz in the western Bekaa. The search escalated into clashes between the suspects and the military, who arrested three individuals. The hostage, however, is still missing. Army helicopters also intervened during this operation.

    • Violent incidents are frequent in the Bekaa region, where weapons circulate relatively freely and armed clashes erupt between the army and wanted individuals or between groups living in the area.