Man at Bekaa bank takes hostages in an apparent attempt to retrieve his savings

BEIRUT — A man carrying gasoline and grenades took hostages inside a Bekaa branch of the Bank of Beirut and the Arab Countries (BBAC), threatening to burn them, after the bank had allegedly refused to pay him his savings in dollars, according to our correspondent in the area.

Here’s what we know:

    • The suspect entered the bank armed with a can of gasoline and threatened to burn the customers and employees if the bank did not pay him the $50,000 that he allegedly had in his savings.

    • Internal security forces and the red cross arrived at the scene. ISF laid siege to the ban and later arrested the victim. No injuries have so far been reported. 

    • Since the beginning of the economic crisis in Lebanon in 2019, illegal and severe banking restrictions have been informally imposed on depositors. Many banks have been vandalized or attacked by protesters and angry customers since then.