عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Lebanon Reopens Entrances to Downtown Beirut after 4 Years of Closure

Lebanese army soldiers remove a concrete block in downtown Beirut, Lebanon January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese army soldiers remove a concrete block in downtown Beirut, Lebanon January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
TT
20
TT

Lebanon Reopens Entrances to Downtown Beirut after 4 Years of Closure

Lebanese army soldiers remove a concrete block in downtown Beirut, Lebanon January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese army soldiers remove a concrete block in downtown Beirut, Lebanon January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

Lebanese security forces removed security barriers around Parliament Square on Wednesday, upon an order issued by Speaker Nabih Berri to reopen the entrances to the area, following the “decline in security threats”.
 
A military source supervising the opening of the passages surrounding the parliament said that as soon as Berri issued the order to loosen security measures, “military personnel started to remove all barriers but we have kept control points to intervene when necessary.”
 
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the security situation in the area was now “highly stable.”
 
The area was closed almost completely in 2014, after security threats by extremist organizations, which carried out terrorist operations in several Lebanese regions. The measures intensified following demonstrations by civil movement groups in central Beirut, to protest Lebanon’s waste crisis.
 
Metal gates leading to Parliament were removed early last year, while the remaining concrete barriers were completely removed on Wednesday, paving the way for the return of normal life to the Beirut Central District.
 
The economic burden sustained by investors in this area has increased dramatically over the past four years, with business levels falling to 3 percent as a result of the tight security measures.
 
A manager at a clothing store at Al-Maarad Street told Asharq Al-Awsat that the staff was reduced from 16 to two, while many shops were closed in the streets around Parliament Square.
 
The situation necessitated political interference following the decline of security threats. Under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, New Year’s Eve celebrations were successfully held in Nejmeh Square, with the aim of “restoring life”, followed by Berri’s decision to reopen passages to the area and remove the surrounding security barriers.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Attacks on Syrian Security Forces Sent to Quell Sectarian Clashes Leave 18 Dead as Israel Strikes Targets to Protect Druze

Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the distance as members of Syria's security forces man rocket launchers in an area between Mazraa and Walga near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 14, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the distance as members of Syria's security forces man rocket launchers in an area between Mazraa and Walga near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 14, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. (AFP)
TT
20
TT

Attacks on Syrian Security Forces Sent to Quell Sectarian Clashes Leave 18 Dead as Israel Strikes Targets to Protect Druze

Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the distance as members of Syria's security forces man rocket launchers in an area between Mazraa and Walga near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 14, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. (AFP)
Smoke billows following Israeli strikes in the distance as members of Syria's security forces man rocket launchers in an area between Mazraa and Walga near the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on July 14, 2025, following clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters. (AFP)

At least 18 members of Syria's security forces have been killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, the Defense Ministry said, after they deployed to quell deadly sectarian clashes that had resumed on Monday, while Israel said it struck tanks in a town in the same province on the same day.

Sunday's fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribal fighters was the first time that sectarian violence erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, following months of tensions in the broader province.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Hassan Abdel-Ghani said in statements reported by Syrian state news agency SANA that a number of troops were also injured during attacks on military points by "outlawed groups".

Earlier, the ministry said in a statement to Reuters that these groups, who it did not identify further, had attacked a number of its units at dawn.

It said its forces responded to the attacks and had pursued the groups that refused to halt hostilities and continued to target security forces.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it attacked several tanks in a town in Sweida. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were a "clear warning to the Syrian regime", adding that Israel would not allow harm to the Druze living in Syria.

Close ties between the Israeli state and its 120,000 Druze citizens, strengthened by the fact that Druze men serve in the Israel army, are one of the reasons for Israel's deepening involvement in Syria.

The fighting on Sunday left 30 people dead and prompted Syria's security forces to deploy units to the city to restore calm and guarantee safe passage for civilians looking to leave, the defense ministry said in earlier statements.

But intense clashes broke out again on Monday, local news outlet Sweida24 reported.

Another security source said that Syrian troops would aim to exert state control over the whole province to prevent any more violence, but that this could take several days.

It marked the latest episode of sectarian bloodshed in Syria, where fears among minority groups have surged since opposition fighters toppled President Bashar al-Assad in December, installing their own government and security forces.

The factions which fought Assad during the war agreed in December to dissolve into the Defense Ministry but efforts to integrate armed factions from minority groups - including Druze and Kurds - have largely stalled.

In southern Syria, efforts have been further complicated by Israel's stated policy that it would not allow Syria's new army to deploy south of Damascus and that Sweida and neighboring provinces should make up a demilitarized zone.

Interior Minister Anas Khattab said in a written statement carried on state media that the "absence of state institutions, especially military and security institutions, is a major cause of the ongoing tensions in Sweida and its countryside."

Sunday's violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said.