As part of its security campaign against drug traffickers, the Lebanese Army launched a targeted operation early Wednesday morning in the Sharawneh neighborhood of Baalbeck.
Intense clashes broke out between the military and suspected traffickers, during which the army carried out precision strikes using drones.
The operation targeted a notorious trafficker, Ali Zeaiter, better known by his alias “Abou Salleh.” He is suspected of leading a vast drug production and distribution network operating between the Bekaa and Beirut. According to Al-Hadath, Ali Zeaiter was reportedly killed by a Lebanese army drone.
Wednesday’s raid is believed to have resulted in three deaths, including that of Abbas Ali Saadoun Zeaiter, who was also wanted, media sources reported. Injuries were also reported, though the exact identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed by authorities.
Residents of the Sharawneh neighborhood are urging the Lebanese Army to de-escalate and temporarily cease fire to allow trapped civilians to evacuate.
Meanwhile, the army denied rumors circulating in some media outlets and on social media about an alleged attack on one of its barracks in Hermel. In a statement carried by the National News Agency, the institution said the claims were “completely unfounded.”
This area of the Bekaa has long been a hotspot for violent clashes between armed groups, drug traffickers, and security forces. Operations like Wednesday’s are part of an ongoing effort to reassert state authority in the region.
Comments