Gunmen Attack Army, ISF in Brital after Raids over Abducted Child

Gunmen opened fire at security forces Friday evening in the Bekaa town of Brital after the army carried out raids in search for the abducted 10-year-old child Michel Ibrahim al-Saqr.

“A number of gunmen crossed an army checkpoint in Brital and opened fire at the troops, who responded in kind,” state-run National News Agency reported.

An Nahar newspaper said “fugitives who arrived in four SUVs opened fire on an army post in Brital's Tal al-Nabi Saleh area and the army retaliated.”

Earlier, NNA said “a number of fugitives opened fire at the Brital police station after the army carried out raids in the town in search for the kidnappers of the child Michel Ibrahim al-Saqr.”

The agency said the armed attacks did not cause any casualties.

Meanwhile, Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) said “two women from the Ismail family were wounded in clashes between security forces and fugitives in Brital.”

It also said “the army raided and expropriated several houses belonging to fugitives involved in the abduction of the child Saqr.”

Earlier on Friday, the radio station said clashes erupted between security forces and suspects in Brital during raids related to Saqr's abduction.

And OTV said “the army is raiding houses of fugitives in Brital and gunfire has been heard.”

Michel, a 10-year-old son of the businessman Ibrahim al-Saqr, was abducted at gunpoint earlier on Friday in the eastern city of Zahle, according to NNA.

Saqr was heading to school with the family's driver when four masked gunmen in a Grand Cherokee SUV kidnapped him, NNA said.

The abduction is suspected to be kidnap-for-ransom.

Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq tasked security agencies to take all the necessary measures to release Michel.

Later on Friday, the Directorate General of Internal Security Forces announced that it is coordinating with the army to “liberate the abducted child Michel al-Saqr and return him to his family; arrest the perpetrators; and reassure citizens.”

It also noted that investigations are underway in coordination with the rest of security agencies and the judiciary with the aim of dismantling the kidnap gangs in the country.

“The members of these gangs have been identified and they number around 100 criminal,” the directorate revealed.

“Efforts are underway to arrest them and bring them to the relevant judicial authorities in order to eradicate this criminal phenomenon,” it added.