View of the Laylaki neighborhood, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, February 2021. (Credit: João Sousa/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — A violent clash took place Tuesday evening in the Laylaki area, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, between rival families in the area, a source at the Lebanese Army confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
"The army has brought the situation under control, and there are no injuries among the soldiers. We do not know if there are injuries among the families who were fighting," the source said. The army was not able to provide details on the identity of the shooters or what gave rise to the incident.
In a video posted on social networks and filmed from an apartment in the area, one can hear bursts of gunfire, fired a few steps from residential buildings.
According to the daily An-Nahar, the clashes involved rival members of the Zeaiter clan, one of the most influential families in the area.
Armed clashes are regularly reported between members of different clans in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In February 2021, Laylaki was the scene of very violent clashes between the Hajoula and Zeaiter clans, who dominate the neighborhood.