Hizbullah Calls Car Crash near Jiye Roadblock a 'Terrorist Crime'

Hizbullah on Monday described as a “terrorist crime” the car crash that resulted in the death of two citizens near a protest roadblock on Jiye’s highway.

“The horrible crime resulted from militia-like attacks by groups of bandits who are practicing the ugliest forms of humiliation and terrorism against innocent civilians commuting on roads,” Hizbullah’s media department said in a statement.

“This vicious attack that targeted the two dear martyrs is an attack on all Lebanese and a threat to civil peace and social stability, that’s why we call on everyone to fully shoulder their responsibilities in order to unveil the circumstances of this terrorist crime and punish the attackers,” the party added.

The two victims have been identified as Hussein Shalhoub and his relative Sanaa al-Jundi. Shalhoub’s daughter who was with them in the car escaped unharmed.

CCTV footage shows the speeding car hitting a metallic barrier before driving into a pole placed on the ground and catching fire. Protesters in the area said the metallic barrier was erected by the army and that they were hundreds of meters away. Some social media users have accused protesters of hurling rocks at the car, accusations denied by the protesters.

Pro-Hizbullah media outlets have in recent weeks accused political rivals, especially al-Mustaqbal Movement, of playing a role in the blocking of some roads in the country, particularly the Jiye highway which links Beirut to the South.