One Dead in East Lebanon Mosque Shooting

Members of Lebanese security forces gather near a mosque where a shooting took place, in Bar Elias, Lebanon. Reuters
Members of Lebanese security forces gather near a mosque where a shooting took place, in Bar Elias, Lebanon. Reuters
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One Dead in East Lebanon Mosque Shooting

Members of Lebanese security forces gather near a mosque where a shooting took place, in Bar Elias, Lebanon. Reuters
Members of Lebanese security forces gather near a mosque where a shooting took place, in Bar Elias, Lebanon. Reuters

One person was killed and several others were wounded Friday when a man opened fire at worshipers as they made their way out of the Akasha mosque in the eastern Lebanese town of Bar Elias.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the armed man opened fire at a group of people as they were leaving the mosque, killing one of them.

It added that as troops tried to detain the gunman, he opened fire at the force whose members fired back and wounded him. The gunman was being held in a hospital.

A Lebanese security source said the shooter was hit by three bullets.

Initial reports indicate the suspect suffers from psychological problems. Other reports said the attack was sparked by a personal dispute.

The man killed in the attack was identified as Lebanese citizen Ali Shibli, a school teacher.

Bekaa Governor Judge Kamal Abou Jaoude called on the security services, along with the municipal police and employees, to maintain public order in the town, and to provide the required assistance to support security forces when necessary.

The Governor also urged Bar Elias residents to “show the highest levels of awareness and responsibility.”



Syrian Opposition March Through the Capital in a Show of Force

A drone view of a military parade held by Khaled Brigade, a part of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
A drone view of a military parade held by Khaled Brigade, a part of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
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Syrian Opposition March Through the Capital in a Show of Force

A drone view of a military parade held by Khaled Brigade, a part of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano
A drone view of a military parade held by Khaled Brigade, a part of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), after Syria's Bashar al-Assad was ousted, in Damascus, Syria, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

Hundreds of members of the main opposition group that overthrew former President Bashar Assad from power marched through the streets of the capital in a show of force.
The fighters with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, gathered at the Abbasiyeen square on Friday afternoon before driving vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns through different neighborhoods of Damascus.
The show of force by HTS came days after members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect protested in different parts of the country, leading to exchanges of fire in some areas.
Until Assad’s fall earlier this month, Alawites held senior positions in the military and security agencies in Syria. HTS fighters are Sunni Muslims who are the majority sect in the country.