Skip to main content

One killed, others wounded in shooting near Lebanon mosque

One killed, others wounded in shooting near Lebanon mosque
MENA
2 min read
08 July, 2023
A man was arrested by the Lebanese army after shooting at worshippers who were leaving a mosque in eastern Lebanon on Friday.
The shooting took place near a mosque in Bar Elias, a town in Lebanon's eastern Beqaa governorate [Getty/archive]

One person was killed and a number of others were wounded on Friday after worshippers at a mosque in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region were shot at as they left, in what was allegedly a personal dispute.

"According to preliminary information, a young man opened fire with a military machine gun at worshippers as they were leaving Friday prayers in a mosque in Bar Elias," a security source in the Bekaa told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

A video shared by Al Jadeed television purportedly shows the moment the shooter began firing at worshippers as they left the mosque.

The New Arab could not verify this.

Translation: Al-Jadeed correspondent reported that a number of worshipers were shot at as they left the "Akasha" mosque in Bar Elias.

In a statement, the Lebanese army said the shooter was wounded during his arrest and was taken to hospital for treatment.

It did not reveal further information on him.

Preliminary information indicated the shooting was sparked by a personal dispute, Reuters quoted a security source as saying.

Local media reports identified the victim as Ali Shibli, who was a professor of economics at a high school.

Bekaa Governor Kamal Abu Jaoude tasked the Bar Elias municipal police to "maintain order and security in the town, and to provide the required assistance to support the security forces when necessary," calling on people to "show the highest levels of awareness and responsibility."