Soldiers deployed on a road leading to the village of Arsal in 2014. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
BEIRUT — Two alleged accomplices of drug smuggler and wanted convict “Abou Salle,” who has been at the center of a weeklong manhunt by the Lebanese Army, were arrested Thursday in Baalbeck, the army announced in a statement.
Here’s what we know:
• In Maaraboun, the army arrested a man who allegedly attempted to cross into Syria illegally after he had opened fire at Lebanese soldiers on June 3 during clashes between the army and convicts in Charawne, Baalbeck, during which one soldier was killed and others injured.
• Thursday afternoon, the army announced the arrest of a man nicknamed “hakim” who allegedly sold drugs in collaboration with “Abou Salle” and was involved in the June 3 clashes with the army.
• The army has been searching since June 3 for Ali Zeaiter, a.k.a “Abou Salle,” and others involved in the clashes. The weekend after the clashes a man suspected of offering medical assistance to Abou Salle, thought to have been wounded during the clashes, was arrested. Other operations were carried out in Riha, Kneisse and Karak.
• Lebanon’s security has deteriorated in the past three years as the country grapples with a severe economic crisis. The Bekaa, which hosts a massive presence of arms as the state struggles to impose its authority, is often the scene of bloody clashes between rival clans, sometimes involving Lebanese Army soldiers. Two soldiers were wounded Sunday during raids in the area.
