Bsharri was draped in black on Monday as its residents buried two of their villagers who are believed to have been killed by sniper fire in the adjacent peak of Qornet el Sawda on July 1.
Shops and businesses were closed and public establishments observed a day of mourning, while people gathered outside the church for the funerals led by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai.
Lebanese Forces MP Strida Geagea, who is from the Tok family, declared in Bsharri that “the region is keen on preserving civil peace and the application of the law.”
“We are eager to know the truth and to have the criminals held accountable as quickly as possible,” Geagea stressed, adding that she was in touch with Army commander Joseph Aoun who informed her that the detainees from Bsharri will remain in custody for a while, “until the issue is clarified.”
“We will follow up on the matter closely until the end, in order to fulfill our right in Qornet al Sawda case, under the rule of law,” she added.
The Bsharri MP thanked the Sunni Mufti of the Republic, Abdel Latif Derian, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, for their solidarity and strong condemnation of the double crime, “as well as the parliamentarians and whoever came from remote areas to stand by us, such as Patriarch Al-Rai.”
Haytham Jemil Hindi Tok and Malek Jaafar Tok, were killed on Saturday by gunmen in the high mountains of Qornet el-Sawda, an area bordering the districts of Bsharri and Denniye.
At more than 3,000 meters above sea level, the area is the highest peak in Lebanon. It is the spot of chronic tensions between the residents of Bsharri and Denniye, due to a conflict that dates back almost 25 years, revolving around the ownership of land and water resources in the region.
The mayor of the Sunni village of Bqaa Safrine in Dinniye, declared a day of mourning “for the rest of the soul of the sons of our neighbors in Bsharri,” including the closure of all businesses, while the national flag on the municipality building was flown at half-mast.
“May God have mercy on the dead, and protect our country from strife, be it obvious or concealed,” the mayor added in a statement.
The League of the Tok family issued a statement on Monday in which it asked “how long should we continue paying dearly in a country where security is absent and the judiciary fails to achieve justice?”
The League questioned the Army’s behavior, indicating that the second victim, Malek Tok, “was killed by army fire,” while the first victim, Haytham Tok, was shot down by a professional sniper.
“Why has the army failed to use force and contain the tense situation before the incident happened? And why did it remove the car that was hit by bullets? What are the reasons for removing such evidence to clarify what happened?” the League asked.
The League called on the Army and the judicial authorities to act quickly to uncover the circumstances of the crimes, bring the culprits to justice, and apply the appropriate punishment.
“The victims of injustice can only be redeemed by achieving justice,” the statement said, warning against laxity and procrastination in uncovering the truth.
The Federation of Denniye Municipalities deplored “the unfortunate incident” and presented its warm condolences to the residents of Bsharri.
In a communiqué issued on Monday, the federation refuted reports about territorial disputes between Bsharri and Denniye.
“The Army put an end to the incident and the culprit should be punished regardless of who he is,” the federation said, stressing that “the incident will not be ignored and the army is the only guarantor of security in the country.”
The Federation refused to comment on the demarcation of the border between the two districts which, it claimed, is the prerogative of the concerned authorities.
