The Afqa cave. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros / L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — The municipality of Afqa (Jbeil) revealed on Thursday that foreign tourists were insulted and beaten in the village on Wednesday, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Afqa is famous for its cave, from which the Nahr Ibrahim springs and from which a waterfall flows.
Contacted by L'Orient Today, the mayor of Afqa said that Egyptian tourists were beaten by "thugs" who had previously attacked other tourists in the village. The mayor added that he does not know the motive of these "thugs."
In a statement published on Thursday, the municipality denounced the "insult and beating of foreign tourists" on Wednesday and considered its statement as a "notification to the Public Prosecution in Mount Lebanon to instruct all security and military forces to do what is necessary to prevent perpetrators and violators of security from being present in these places under any pretext or excuse, in order to preserve the general tourist aspect of the village and prevent some from exploiting these places for their benefit and imposing entry fees without any right."
The municipality added that its statement is also addressed to the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Energy and Water.
According to the municipality, tourists in the village have been subjected to "repeated violations" by "people who represent only themselves and who seek to impose a reality contrary to the nature of the village.
"These shameful behaviors ... only indicate ignorance ..., [they] have nothing to do with human values, principles and morals and are fully condemned."