The village of Lassa. Photo courtesy of Bechara Maroun.
An exchange of gunfire occurred Friday evening in the village of Lassa, located in the heights of Jbeil, north of Beirut, the president of the local municipal council confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
The shots were fired due to a family dispute between a man and his ex-brother-in-law, said council president Ramzi Mokdad. He added that law enforcement intervened and searched several houses in the area, but the individuals involved had already left.
In response to the incident, MP Ziad Hawat (Lebanese Forces/Jbeil) reiterated his request for the Lebanese Army to establish a permanent checkpoint between the regions of Lassa and Afqa to maintain order.
Hawat told L'Orient-Le Jour that these areas shelter individuals wanted by the authorities and are protected by Hezbollah; however, he offered no proof to support this claim.
Mokdad countered Hawat's allegations, saying: "Hezbollah cooperates with the army in such cases to apprehend culprits."
"In Lassa, the law applies to all residents, and we do everything possible to resolve issues among community members and families to prevent them from escalating," Mokdad added.
Lassa, a predominantly Shiite village, often witnesses clashes between its inhabitants and those from neighboring localities due to a longstanding land dispute. However, it appears that Friday's incident is unrelated.
