Al-Mustaqbal Condemns Sidon's 'Criminal' Attack on Army, Urges Probe in the Incident

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday urged authorities to uncover the details behind last week's attack against the army in the southern city of Sidon.

“We call for intensifying investigations to reveal what happened in Sidon on Sunday and for prosecuting those who planned the attack,” the bloc said in a released statement after the MPs' weekly meeting, stressing that what happened in the port city is rejected.

“Those behind the attacks are criminals,” it said.

The MPs assured that they stand beside the state's institutions and especially the army “to face any terrorist act against it.”

“The army's weapons must be protected from attacks carried out by militias.”

They, however, condemned representing Sidon as a city that is “above the law.”

Addressing Hizbullah-affiliated media outlets, they said: “We remind you of the historical role Sidon has played and preserved throughout time.”

Sergeant Samer Youssef Rizk and four gunmen died on Sunday evening in near-simultaneous attacks on two army checkpoints in Sidon – one of them involving a suicide bomber.

In the first attack, an unidentified attacker hurled a hand grenade at an army checkpoint on Sidon's northern entrance in the al-Awwali area, prompting troops to retaliate, which left a gunman dead and a soldier wounded.

Soon after the army intensified its patrols in the area, another attack targeted one of its checkpoints in the Sidon suburb of Majdelyoun.

Al-Mustaqbal accused Hizbullah again of being responsible for the tension in Lebanon.

The bloc explained: “The party's involvement in the battles in Syria, its invasion of Beirut in 2008 and of Abra this year, and its protection of criminals and attackers breed terrorism.”

They called on the state is to stand in front of “all those opposing national consensus,” also urging security forces to prosecute the army's attackers and prevent any group for getting involved in “illegal fighting” in Syria.

On March 14's latest meeting in the northern city of Tripoli, the MPs said that conclusions of the talks that the alliance and Tripoli's residents support religious coexistence and are with implementing the adopted security plan and the law.

"Tripoli also demands the prosecution of those behind the bombings that targeted the two mosques,” they reiterated.

Separately, the lawmakers demanded President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam to quickly form a cabinet of non-partisans and to resume national dialogue sessions.