Three inmates reportedly died in the riots that broke out at the men’s prison in Zahle on Friday afternoon, and seventeen wounded amid continuous confrontation with security forces.
According to sister media Houna Loubnan, the security forces raided the crowded jail to restore control.
The incident occurred after prison guards discovered a tunnel that some inmates had dug in the prison wall in preparation to escape. When guards started blocking the tunnel, the prisoners rioted, with some deliberately setting fire to the cells, leading to the suffocation of many who were rushed to nearby hospitals.
A state of chaos and tension persists, prompting the dispatch of Army units to the prison premises.
Caretaker Minister of Interior Bassam Mawlawi contacted Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, asking for the troops’ backup in restoring control of the prison and protecting its premises.
Civil defense brigades were rushed to the site and are working on putting out the fires
