Members of the Lebanese navy transport illegal migrants aboard a boat in the port of Tripoli on Oct. 31, 2021. (Credit: @Lebarmy)
BEIRUT — Sixty-four people of Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian origins were intercepted by the Lebanese Army on a beach between the areas of Kleiaat and Cheikh Zinad in North Lebanon as they attempted illegally to escape the country, the Lebanese Army said in a statement Tuesday.
Here’s what we know:
• In its statement, the army said that a pregnant woman, who was suffering from bleeding, was among the would-be migrants and was transferred to a hospital in the area. The army also said that the others arrested were handed over to the authorities and an investigation into the matter has been opened under the supervision of the relevant judiciary.
• A growing number of residents of Lebanon have been trying to leave the country illegally amid its unprecedented economic crisis. In April, a migrant boat was shipwrecked off Qalamoun in North Lebanon. At least six dead bodies have been found by the army, while around 30 others are still missing.