Army arrests 3 over killing of Future Movement official in Burj Abi Haidar

BEIRUT — The day after a Future Movement official was shot dead in Beirut’s Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood, the army’s intelligence directorate arrested the suspected shooter and two other people, one of whom was hospitalized, according to a security source cited by local MTV channel on Sunday.

The death toll from the incident has risen to two, with three others wounded, while the army has deployed troops between the Burj Abi Haidar and Noueiri neighborhoods “to prevent a resumption of unrest.” The troops conveyed “a firm message not to undermine security in the capital,” while the army’s intelligence directorate opened an investigation under the supervision of the military judiciary, the same source said.

On Saturday, the Future Movement called on security and judicial authorities to act swiftly to arrest those responsible for the killing and bring them to justice, regardless of their political affiliations or who may be protecting them. It also urged residents of the neighborhood and Beirutis to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that could threaten security in the capital. The office also identified the victim as Abu Jamal Saado, the Future Movement’s representative in the Burj Abi Haidar area, while the identity of the second victim remains unknown at the time of reporting.

A family dispute behind the killing?

A man affiliated with the Future Movement was killed Saturday in a renewed family dispute in Beirut’s Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood, according to a statement from the movement’s Beirut coordination office sent to L’Orient Today.

The Future Movement’s spokesperson told us that “the incident was a family dispute and not political,” adding that “the dispute had previously been settled through a reconciliation but erupted again Saturday.”

The Lebanese Army statement echoed the party's statement on Saturday, reporting that two people were killed, and another was seriously wounded following an exchange of fire, adding that the altercation broke out due to prior disputes. An army unit was immediately deployed on the scene to apprehend the perpetrators, further investigate, and "restore calm" to the neighborhood.

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According to local media, the shooting took place near the headquarters of the Islamic Charitable Projects Association, a Sunni political and religious movement that has long been considered close to Hezbollah and the former Syrian regime of the Assad family. In a statement, the organization denied any connection, “directly or indirectly,” to the incident, saying it stemmed from “an individual dispute between two families.” The group called for its name not to be associated with unrelated disputes or incidents and urged against the circulation of inaccurate information that could cause tensions.

Allegations had circulated on social networks accusing some members of the association of being involved in what happened, but also supporters of several political parties, including the Amal Movement.

The incident comes amid heightened sectarian tensions in Lebanon, polarized by the issue of Hezbollah's disarmament, and Israel's occupation of swathes of southern Lebanon, specifically several villages and towns whose population is predominantly Shiite.