A view from the heights of Qornet al-Sawda. (Credit: Samih Zaatar)
BEIRUT —An investigative judge at the military tribunal has issued 11 arrest warrants against detainees involved in the Qornet al-Sawda murder case, a high-ranking judicial source confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour on Wednesday.
On July 1, 2023, two men from Bsharri died in an exchange of gunfire with residents of Bkaasafrine and the Lebanese Army, which had intervened to try to de-escalate the situation.
Qornet al-Sawda, the highest peak in Lebanon, is situated between the Christian town of Bsharri and the Sunni village of Bkaasafrine, Dannieh. It is contested by both municipalities, as well as the two districts in question.
The source at the military tribunal told L'Orient-Le Jour that, two weeks ago, government commissioner Fadi Akiki initiated legal proceedings against more than 20 individuals, including 13 detainees presumably involved in the case.
He then transferred the case to Judge Sawan, who conducted interrogations with the detainees and subsequently issued the 11 arrest warrants, according to the same source.
Qornet al-Sawda is an undivided territory supposed to be managed by the municipalities of the region, but the lack of precise delineation causes conflicts over water reserves every summer.