1 Dead, 2 Hurt as Arsal Residents Clash with Gunmen in Town Outskirts

One person was killed and two others were wounded Friday in an armed clash involving Syrian and Lebanese citizens in the Bekaa border town of Arsal.

“A Syrian gunman was killed and two members of the al-Hujairi and Ezzeddine families were hurt in a clash with machineguns between Lebanese and Syrian citizens in Arsal,” state-run National News Agency reported.

It said the gunfight broke out over “the splitting of spoils and money.”

“A joint force from the army and the Internal Security Forces intervened, seizing various types of weapons and staging patrols in the town,” NNA added.

On Sunday, a man abducted on May 27 at the hands of an armed group was released in the outskirts of Arsal. “Blindfolded and handcuffed, Hasan Ahmed al-Ghawi was freed in Arsal's Wadi Hmayyed,” NNA said.

An army commando force had raided Syrian refugee encampments in Arsal on June 18 and carried out patrols in the outskirts of the town in search for gunmen and wanted suspects.

The army had recently kicked off an operation to detain armed men, who are accused of assaulting Syrian refugee camps in Wadi Hmayyed and abducting several Syrian and Lebanese citizens.

Ever since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011, Arsal has served as a key conduit for refugees, rebels and wounded people fleeing strife-torn Syria.

Y.R.