Photo of Mohammad Jihad Khaled, hit by celebratory gunfire on the night of the municipal elections in Akkar, on May 11, 2025. Photo being sent on social media.
At least two people, including LBCI journalist Nada Andraos, were injured by stray bullets from celebratory gunfire in North Lebanon on Sunday night following the announcement of municipal election results.
The first incident occurred in the locality of Ain al-Dehab in Akkar, where a 15-year-old boy, Mohammad Jihad Khaled, was seriously injured by one of the shots. Initially reported as dead, the teenager remained in intensive care at Al-Habtour Public Hospital in Hrar, according to a local source contacted by L'Orient Today.
In a separate incident, LBCI journalist Nada Andraos was shot in the left leg while covering the election results in Tripoli. "She was taken to the hospital and is in good health," her colleagues announced on air Sunday night.
Interior minister vows crackdown
During a news conference Monday morning, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar again called for an end to celebratory gunfire and said the Internal Security Forces have been ordered to arrest those responsible for the chaos that erupted in several areas of North Lebanon. He also wished the injured a speedy recovery and personally called Andraos to express his support.
The Lebanese Army said 35 suspected shooters had been arrested in various regions in northern Lebanon and that weapons and ammunition were seized. The army command urged citizens to refrain from gunfire, saying it endangers lives and carries legal consequences.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also weighed in, calling the gunfire "morally and legally unacceptable" and labeling it a "shameful and backward phenomenon that must stop."
Dozens of election-related incidents
Celebratory gunfire was not the only disruption on the second day of Lebanon’s municipal elections — the first since 2016. At least 143 security incidents and nearly 120 altercations or fights were reported Sunday, according to a statement by Hajjar. Authorities also received 675 complaints and claims, including 15 cases of suspected electoral fraud under investigation.
"The electoral process in the North and Akkar took place satisfactorily despite certain difficulties that arose on Saturday and partly persisted on Sunday," Hajjar said at his press briefing.
Voting will continue next Sunday, May 18, in Beirut and Bekaa, followed by South Lebanon on Saturday, May 24.
