ISF vehicles on a road leading to Baisariyeh, in South Lebanon, on April 6, 2023. (Credit: Muntasser Abdallah/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — A dispute broke out Thursday between Internal Security Forces (ISF) personnel and residents of the village of Baiseriyeh in South Lebanon over illegal construction on publicly owned land, L'Orient Today's correspondent in the area reported.
The ISF reportedly had deployed to the village in the district of Zahrani to halt the construction work.
According to L'Orient Today's correspondent, 150 ISF officers were on the scene but ran into a roadblock set up by residents.
One resident told L'Orien Today they opposed what they said was unequal treatment by authorities toward different illegal construction sites.
"The ISF wants to demolish some illegal buildings and leave others standing. There are 50 illegal buildings in the village but the police only want to stop three construction sites," the resident said.
In mid-March, a similar incident occurred in the locality of Tefgfahta, near Nabatieh, where ISF officers who wanted to stop illegal excavation work were shot at by the residents.
Additional reporting by Muntasser Abdallah