At Least Two Troops Killed in Hermel Army Checkpoint Blast, Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon Claims Attack
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Two troops were killed on Saturday and several others were wounded in a massive suicide car explosion at an army checkpoint in the Bekaa town of Hermel.
The attack was claimed by Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon.
The suicide car blast ripped through the checkpoint which lies at the entrance of Hermel, and at which cars are routinely stopped and searched by army troops.
“A suicide blast took place near al-Assi bridge area at the entrance of Hermel,” the state-run National News Agency reported.
"The blast killed two troops, among them an army officer, and wounded five others while other 10 civilians were also lightly injured in the bombing.”
“One victim's body and 14 wounded were transferred to three hospitals in the region,” the news agency said.
The NNA identified one injured civilian as Mohammed Dib Ayyoub.
Meanwhile, al-Jadeen television and al-Mayadeen channel both said three people were killed in the bombing.
Military sources told LBCI television that among the wounded were three army recruits and two civilians.
“The wounded recruits are Imad Mahmoud Abou Zeid, Hassan Ali Jaafar and Elie Shhade Rizk while the civilians are Khodr Abu Bakr and his wife Rita.”
Minister of Public Health Wael Abou Faour urged all hospitals in the region to admit those that were wounded in the blast.
The NNA provided details on the moment of the explosion: “When army troops asked the driver to turn the lights on inside the car, he refused to do so and then detonated the vehicle.”
Media reports also said the checkpoint was not the target.
"The attacker was entering Hermel and when army forces at the checkpoint suspected him, he detonated the booby-trapped car,” LBCI said.
LBCI noted that the checkpoint where the car exploded belongs to the border regiment whose mission is deploying troops on the Lebanese-Syrian border.
"Obtained information said two booby-trapped cars were located at the entrance of Hermel, and one of them only exploded at the checkpoint," al-Mayadeen said.
In the evening, the army released a statement detailing on Saturday's developments.
"At 7:00pm a four-wheeled vehicle driven by a suicide bomber detonated at an army checkpoint, killing and wounding several troops and civilians,” the released communique said.
The statement noted that the attacker blew himself inside the car when army forces tried to stop him after finding him suspicious.
It considered that Saturday's operation requires embracing the military institution.
"We will never stop facing anyone trying to harm Lebanon and we'll work to dismantle terrorist networks and prosecute fugitives regardless of the sacrifices to be offered,” the statement stressed.
"Once again, the army is paying in blood the price of fighting terrorism and attempting to safeguard civil peace in the country. The military institution has warned months ago of what is being planned for Lebanon and we have intensified our campaigns to arrest planners and executors of these terrorist acts."
"We have announced our readiness to confront terrorism that aims at creating chaos and inciting sedition in Lebanon.”
Late on Saturday evening, Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon claimed responsibility for the attack.
"In a blessed martyrdom (suicide) operation, the Hermel area was struck on Saturday," the Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon said on Twitter hours after the blast.
It also posted photographs of children with amputated limbs, under the headline: "The crimes of the party of Iran (Hizbullah) in Syria".
Following the blast, the municipality of the Bekaa town urged citizens to stay away from the site of the explosion.
Also, State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr tasked police forces with cordoning off the site of the explosion and gather all found information and clues about the car and the bomber, according to the NNA.
“He also tasked forensic doctors with collecting humans remains and carry out the necessary DNA testing,” the NNA added.
Hermel, in the Bekaa Valley where Hizbullah has a strong presence, has seen multiple attacks in recent months related to the war raging in neighboring Syria.
Until Saturday, the attacks had all killed civilians.
22 February 2014, 21:12
716
God bless our Lebanese army. The only legitimate force trying to bring security to our country with the basic means they have and the incredible political interference they are under.
22 February 2014, 21:30
175
Mystic,
Wrong wrong wrong. These are the takfiris that HA is creating and bringing to Lebanon to justify their existence. You are not fooling anyone by saying M14 support them. They are targeting whoever gets in their way to HA (and in some case it is the LAF). M14 supported the LAF attack on Nahr El Bared and your HA was the one putting red lines.
22 February 2014, 21:32
176
Yes it is prime time the Lebanese unite and cast away takfiris and Iranian HA. Yes both need to get out of Lebanon so Lebanon and its armed forces can be in peace. Even the Shia would be relieved once HA is no longer controlling them with its money and arms.
22 February 2014, 21:50
167
Let me capitalizze it for you Souther so you can hear me out and clear:
I DO NOT SUPPORT TAKFIRIS .... on a scale of 1 to 10 my hate for them is 10
I ALSO DO NOT SUPPORT HA ..... my hate for HA is 9 (out of 10)
They both killed soldiers, they both are non-Lebanese in ideology, they both have foreign loyalties.
I SUPPORT OUR LAF ......... 10 out of 10
Am I clear now?
22 February 2014, 22:27
164
No help needed, thank you. I did not expect more from a HA follower. You met my expectations.
22 February 2014, 21:35
155
Yes the Lebanese soldiers are heroes and HA and takfiris need to put down their arms for their sake and the sake of all Lebanese.
22 February 2014, 21:35
114
Everything you said karim, and add to it HA and armed Palestinians.
22 February 2014, 22:15
77
Army is paying the ultimate price of other's selfish crusade. If the army isn't allowed to safeguard the whole country then they should get out of harm's way and let the savages send each other to hell.
22 February 2014, 23:15
146
All armed groups should lay down there arms.
If the people claimed their posts that the heroes are the LAF & it's soldiers.
Then those supporting armed groups whether Hizballah or other groups. The blood is on their hands.
It's like 2 or 3 kids that don't like each other, but only one of the kids is hiding behind their mother & pointing the tongue at the others. Trying to provoke them to do something stupid.
In this case we know who is hiding behind their mother.
23 February 2014, 00:14
412
Man some people voted you down! Can you believe it? It baffles me, it really does.
23 February 2014, 09:29
52
No one is supporting el Qaeda attacks or justifying them. But there is a reality that you cannot ignore. Hizbollah is fighting Qaeda in Syria and Qaeda is attacking, in a terrorist, manner Hizbollah areas. If you are legitimizing Hizbollah involvement in Syria then you are automatically involuntarily legitimizing Qaeda terrorists attacks in Lebanon.
What hizaj needs to do in order to protect Lebanon is to join its forces under the Army's command in order to secure lebanons' borders.
23 February 2014, 16:44
15
Brothers Mystic and Southern, this person who calls himself @ibinharethreik is none other than Banimaarouf. It's his character to use the holy symbols of other sects, like ours as Christians or Yours as Shiites. He called himself recently, something to reminince of Seit Zenab (AS), now he is using His Eminence's picture. He lives in the Shouf mountain and appears under many aliases. Just wanted you guys to know. Please don't spend a minute of your time on him/her.
