Soldiers deployed on a road leading to the village of Ersal, in the Bekaa. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP archives)
BEIRUT —A wanted suspect was killed and a soldier was injured during an exchange of fire with the Lebanese Army in Mount Lebanon, the army announced in a statement on Friday.
The suspect was killed as he attempted to flee the scene in a car driven by an accomplice. All those involved in this incident were arrested.
The suspect faced 21 arrest warrants for a long list of crimes including murder, armed assault on security patrols, smuggling for notorious drug dealer "Abu Salleh,” arms trade, management of drug trafficking networks and promotion of drug networks in multiple regions in Lebanon, according to the statement.
The weapon used in the shooting was seized, along with false identification papers, a number of drugs and a sum of money.
The seized items were handed over and the judiciary launched an investigation.
The security situation in Lebanon has deteriorated significantly in recent years as the country suffers the world's worst financial crisis since the 1850s, according to the World Bank.
The Bekaa valley, where weapons circulate in large numbers, is often the scene of bloody clashes between the military and heavily-armed gangs, while the state struggles to impose its authority.