A photo of the victim, Roland Murr, circulating on social media.
A clash on Wednesday evening between members of the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the group known as Jnoud al-Rab (Soldiers of God) resulted in the death of the LF’s Karm al-Zeitoun (Achrafieh) office head, Roland Murr. The incident caused significant upheaval within LF ranks, prompting party leader Samir Geagea to implicitly call on caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi to disband the group.
According to anonymous sources, the altercation began with a dispute over a right of way in traffic. An LF member, passing near Jnoud al-Rab’s headquarters on Saydeh Street in Achrafieh, reportedly got into an argument with members of the group, who allegedly seized a personal weapon from him and beat him.
The LF member returned to their Karm al-Zeitoun headquarters and reported the incident. A delegation from the LF then went to the site to retrieve the confiscated weapon. The discussion escalated into a clash, during which gunfire erupted, killing Roland Murr, who was also the owner of a driving school.
Murr was the sole casualty, with no other injuries reported. By Thursday morning, witnesses reported a significant deployment of Lebanese Army troops at the site of the clash and the LF headquarters, likely to prevent further tensions.
According to available information, no arrests have been made yet, and the investigation remains ongoing. A source within the Lebanese Army stated that the main suspect was not found at his residence during a raid. The individual, whose identity the source declined to disclose, has been instructed to surrender to the army; otherwise, he will be forcibly apprehended.
'Thugs and killers'
Midday yesterday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned the killing of his party member, calling him a "martyr" in a statement. Geagea revealed that he had contacted caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi to urge increased efforts and patrols to arrest the killers of Roland Murr, "whose identities are known."
The statement also indicated that Geagea requested the minister to "address the issue of this outlaw group [Jnoud al-Rab] and put an end to this phenomenon, which has already caused unrest in the peaceful neighborhoods of the city." The group, Geagea said, is "responsible for no fewer than four murders in under five years, not to mention assaults and vandalism, particularly against bars." This includes a notorious attack on Aug. 12, 2023, when members of the group targeted an LGBTQ+-friendly bar in Mar Mikhael.
“You were taken from your loved ones and the residents of Achrafieh by the hand of ignorance, betrayal and crime, even though everyone knows you were a man of peace and dialogue,” Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea also wrote in tribute to Roland Murr.
Throughout the day, reactions from party members to the incident were harsh, both in local media and on social networks. Former Minister Richard Kouyoumjian, now head of the Lebanese Forces’ external relations, told Elnashra News that his party “rejects the presence of any illegal arms in the hands of any group, and we refuse for the word Rab [God] to be used by a gang of thugs and killers.” This statement could also be viewed as a veiled reference to the Lebanese Forces’ longstanding calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah. The former minister urged “the judicial and security authorities of the state to take action against the outlaw group Jnoud al-Rab.” He added emphatically, “Achrafieh rejects these criminals.”
It’s worth noting that the headquarters of Jnoud al-Rab is located in the building where businessman Nabil Sehnaoui resides. Nabil Sehnaoui is the father of Antoun Sehnaoui, the head of SGBL Bank, and members of the group have also been seen outside some bank branches.
The incident has ignited social media. Among Lebanese Forces supporters and sympathizers, anger over the death of Roland Murr is palpable. “The path to the rule of law is costing us our best men, all because of groups that consider themselves above the law and try to impose their illegal control over certain areas,” wrote Jossy Hanna on X.
Some have drawn equivalencies between the Lebanese Forces and Jnoud al-Rab. “Both parties used weapons in this incident, and the exchange of gunfire was intense! Why were weapons not controlled by the state, used by the two factions in the heart of Beirut? Were they meant to protect Lebanon, and if so, why weren’t they used to defend the churches in the South from Israeli desecration?” wrote a journalist close to Hezbollah, Jamal Cheaib, on X.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient Le-Jour.
