Lebanese soldiers deployed in Kahaleh, following a shootout that left at least two people dead, on Aug. 9, 2023, after a Hezbollah truck overturned. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
BEIRUT — At least two people, including a Hezbollah member, were killed on Wednesday evening in a shootout in Kahaleh, Aley, following the overturning of a Hezbollah-owned truck. The incident sparked tension in the area, prompting a heavy army deployment in an attempt to calm the situation.
In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Hezbollah acknowledged that the truck in question belonged to it. "The vehicle came from the Bekaa and was heading towards Beirut when it overturned. Our brothers, who were in charge of the truck's route, were trying to tow the [overturned] vehicle when militia elements gathered on the spot and attacked the truck's passengers in an attempt to take control of it. They started throwing stones before firing their weapons, injuring one of our brothers, who was hospitalized in a serious condition. He died shortly afterwards," the party said. "An exchange of fire took place with the armed elements, before the army intervened ...," the statement added.
A crane towing a Hezbollah truck that overturned on a road in Kahaleh, Aley, on Aug. 9, 2023. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
While Hezbollah did not give the identity of its member killed in the incident, journalist Ali Shoeib of the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar channel claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that the victim's name was Ahmad Ali Kassas, alias "Mohammad Ali."
{مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلاً} - صَدَقَ الله العَليّ العَظِيم
— علي شعيب || Ali Shoeib ?? (@alishoeib1970) August 9, 2023
بمزيد من الفخر والإعتزاز، تزف المقاومة الإسلامية الشهيد المجاهد أحمد علي قصاص "محمد علي" من… pic.twitter.com/NhbWPR8wj7
The second victim is reported to be a local resident in his 60s. According to several posts circulating on social networks and the testimony of a person who knew the victim to whom L'Orient-Le Jour spoke, this second victim was Fadi Bejjani.
Several videos have also been shared on social networks, showing people running around the overturned truck in confusion. Gunfire can also be heard in these recordings. Other videos show unidentified armed men in civilian clothes opening fire in the direction of the crowd gathered near the beleaguered truck.
On Wednesday night, the nature of the truck's cargo remained unclear.
? [Video] First moments after the #Hezbollah-owned truck overturned Wednesday evening in Kahaleh, Aley, deteriorating into an extremely tense security situation that prompted heavy Lebanese Army deployment. pic.twitter.com/j5zTvjFFuD
— L'Orient Today (@lorienttoday) August 9, 2023
Mikati contacts Joseph Aoun
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement Wednesday evening in which he said he had contacted army chief Joseph Aoun in relation to the incident. Mikati asked that "the investigation be accelerated in order to unveil the circumstances of the incident." He also announced "the implementation of measures on the ground to contain the situation." Lastly, he called on "everyone to remain calm, to await the results of the investigation, and not to allow themselves to be drawn into reactions." The caretaker premier assured that "the army is continuing its efforts to prevent the situation from degenerating."
The incident took place in front of a Kataeb party office in Kahaleh. In its aftermath, the party announced on Wednesday evening that it was canceling a press conference scheduled for Thursday on the issue of Syrian refugees.Tensions in the area remained high into the night, despite the fact that the truck had been removed from the scene. According to local news sites, angry residents refused to reopen the Kahaleh road.
