A funeral procession moves through Bebnine, Akkar for two men al-Fajr group of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya who killed in an Israeli attack two days ago in West Bekaa. (Courtesy of L'Orient Today's correspondent in the North, Michel Hallak)
BEIRUT — Four people, including a child, were injured by stray bullets fired on Sunday during a funeral procession in Bebnine, Akkar, for two men killed in an Israeli attack on Friday.
Despite calls from the deceased men's family for people not to fire their guns into the air — a common practice during funerals and weddings — the municipality of Bebnine, in northern Lebanon, experienced heavy gunfire in its town square during the reception.
Stray bullets from the procession hit four people: A woman who was struck on her arm, a man who was struck in his back, a 10-year-old child who was struck on his head, and another man who was also struck in the head.
The first three victims were all inside of their homes when they were wounded as the funeral passed by. The fourth man was on the street next to this home and was a significant distance from the convoy when the bullet struck his head. The gunfire also damaged cars and properties in the area.
All four victims are in stable condition. The bullet that struck the child grazed the surface of his head, without penetrating. The man who was struck in the head was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A funeral procession moves through Bebnine, Akkar for two men al-Fajr group of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya who killed in an Israeli attack two days ago in West Bekaa. (Courtesy of L'Orient Today's correspondent in the North, Michel Hallak)
According to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region, the two men for whom the funeral was being held, cousins Mossab Khalaf and Bilal Khalaf, were part of al-Fajr group of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya and were killed in an Israeli attack in West Bekaa two days ago
Since the start of the Oct. 7 al-Aqsa Flood Operation, al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, the small Lebanese Sunni party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood (similar to the Palestinian Hamas movement) revived its armed wing, the al-Fajr forces, to take part in the fighting against Israel alongside Hezbollah in the South.
The Khalaf cousins' funeral procession started from al-Rasool al-Atham hospital in the southern suburbs of Beirut, passing through Deir Ammar and Minieh, North Lebanon, until it reached Bebnine.
Sheikh Saeed Khalaf, also related to the two deceased men, spoke from a mosque's speakers, urging people to cease the gunfire.
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya released a statement Sunday afternoon saying it regretted “the armed convoy and shooting during the funeral procession in Bebnine, adding that “any scene that raises panic and fear among the Lebanese is unacceptable.”
A stray bullet hits a man in his back in Bebnine, Akkar, amid heavy gunfire for a funeral convoy. (Courtesy of Michel Hallak)
Firing guns into the air to mark various social events is commonplace in Lebanon. In August 2020, a bullet, presumed to have been fired during the funeral of one of the victims of the deadly Aug. 4 explosion at the port of Beirut, hit Lebanese footballer Mohammad Atwe, who died a month later.
In late 2022, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi issued a circular calling on the security forces and regional authorities in Beirut and Mount Lebanon to take "firm and repressive measures" to prevent celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve. In November, a plane belonging to the national carrier Middle East Airlines was hit by a stray bullet, which pierced its fuselage after it landed at Beirut International Airport.
Every year, an array of incidents involving stray bullets are recorded in Lebanon, where arms possession is poorly regulated.
Reporting contributed by Michel Hallak.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the incident occurred in Benin. The name of the village is actually Bebnine, in Akkar.