Lebanese police outside a detention center in Beirut on Aug. 7, 2022 after an escape of detainees. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — Nine detainees escaped Monday morning from the Fakhreddine barracks located near the UNESCO headquarters in Beirut, an army spokesperson confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
The exact circumstances of the incident are still unknown.
Prison escapes have multiplied in recent months in a Lebanon ravaged by poverty and economic crisis since 2019, while the value of law enforcement officers' salaries has been dramatically eroded due to the record depreciation of the national currency.
Nineteen inmates had escaped more than a week ago from prison in Jounieh, in the Kesrouan region, while in August, some 30 inmates escaped from the Adlieh detention center in Beirut via a window after clandestinely bringing a tool into the premises. Some of the escapees were later apprehended.