Crosses torn from graves and thrown on the floor in a cemetery of the Bekaa town of Deir al-Ahmar. (Credit: @BachirKhodr/Twitter)
BEIRUT — A Christian cemetery in the Bekaa town of Deir al-Ahmar was vandalized Friday night, with several crosses being torn from the graves, mayor Latif Kozah told L'Orient-Le Jour.
Kozah said he filed a complaint with the Internal Security Forces, which opened an investigation, and said Lebanon's army intelligence is also looking into the incident.
"We are waiting on the results of investigations, and are refraining from making accusations for the time being," he continued, denouncing how some parties have attributed the vandalism to Syrians without any evidence.
For his part, the mohafez (governor) of Baalbeck-Hermel, Bashir Khoder, issued a tweet Saturday urging the residents of Deir al-Ahmar to "[maintain] restraint and wait for the results of the investigation."
He also said he was "following this issue with the relevant security agencies," affirming that he was "confident they will arrest the culprits."
A police spokesman could not immediately be reached for further information.
There have been several reports recently of intrusions into Christian cemeteries in Lebanon.
A Maronite cemetery in Saida, southern Lebanon, was vandalized in late March. Police subsequently arrested several minors.