ISF officer killed in a security raid in Tripoli, fugitive arrested

The city of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, was shaken on Saturday morning by intense clashes between a special unit of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) under the Judicial Police and a fugitive identified by his initials N.R., a Lebanese national born in 1964. The suspect was wanted under four arrest warrants for murder, attempted murder, and illegal use of firearms. The raid resulted in the death of a Judicial Police lieutenant and injuries to three other officers.

The suspect had barricaded himself inside an apartment on al-Me’atein Street, in a densely populated neighborhood of Tripoli, along with several other wanted individuals. “When the special police unit stormed the apartment, the suspect opened fire and threw five hand grenades at the officers,” according to an ISF statement.

Read also

Was January particularly deadly in Lebanon? Official figures say otherwise

The operation led to heavy gunfire, during which a police officer was hit and later died of his wounds at the hospital. In its statement, the General Directorate of the ISF mourned the death of Lieutenant Elias Bahjat Taouk, born in 1986 in Bsharri. He was married, the father of two children, and was posthumously promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant. Interior Minister Ahmed Hajjar quickly issued a statement, saluting “the martyr who fell as a hero of the nation while carrying out his duty and protecting the people.”

After nearly two hours of clashes, the ISF succeeded in apprehending the fugitive along with three others, who ultimately surrendered. All four were transferred to the police station for detention.

The fugitive’s family issued a statement “completely disavowing the criminal act committed by N.R.” and affirming “its commitment to the law, the state and its institutions.”

“We, the family of the wanted man N.R., strongly condemn the dangerous act our brother committed today during a security operation aimed at arresting him, rooted in previous disputes which we had tried, as a family, to resolve through legal channels and peaceful means,” the statement read.

“During the operation, N.R. unilaterally acted in a reprehensible and unacceptable manner by resisting the security forces and opening fire on the patrol, which sadly and regretfully led to the martyrdom of one of the heroic security personnel and the injury of others,” the family added.

Reacting to the incident, President Joseph Aoun praised on his X account the efforts undertaken by the Internal Security Forces “to maintain security in the country, reduce crime, combat smuggling, and confront anything that poses a threat to citizens’ safety.” He stressed that “there will be zero tolerance for those who violate the law and are wanted by the judiciary.” He also paid tribute to the victim’s service and offered his condolences to the Minister of the Interior and the Director General of the ISF.

For his part, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the victim “gave his life to safeguard Lebanon’s security and stability.” “He is the martyr of Bsharri, of Tripoli and of the nation,” he lamented.

The Progressive Socialist Party also saluted “the sacrifices made by ISF officers and praised their efforts to protect the homeland and its citizens.”

The ISF operation is part of a broader security campaign to track down wanted criminals in northern Lebanon.

Un agent des FSI tué dans un raid sécuritaire à Tripoli, un fugitif arrêté