NGO Terre-Liban published a shocking photo on Thursday of a massive tree felling in the heavily wooded area of Harissa, between Bkerke and the village of Daraoun, on the heights of Kesrouan. The environmental defense association said it received an “urgent report concerning the systematic and brutal felling of many oak and pine trees in this area along the former Harissa road.” The photos show cut wood on the roadside.

“We request that the Internal Security Forces and the Ministry of Agriculture take immediate action, inspect the site, and enforce strict measures to put an end to this environmental crime,” emphasized the message from Terre-Liban on social media.

Tree felling in Lebanon is regulated by laws set in place by the Ministry of Agriculture, with an emphasis on the protection of coniferous trees. Massive and often illegal tree felling is common in a country that has lost a large portion of its green spaces over the past decades.