Warrants for 2 Arsal Ambush Suspects, Qahwaji Dubs Attackers 'Terrorists'

Military Examining Magistrate Fadi Sawan issued on Wednesday arrest warrants against two suspects involved in the ambush of a military patrol in the northeastern border town of Arsal.

Sawan issued the warrants against Mustafa Ali al-Hujairi and Hassan Mohammed al-Hujairi after questioning them.

Sawan was handed the case file on Tuesday, a day after State Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr charged 34 people and summoned Arsal municipal chief, Ali al-Hujairi, to question him as a witness over the assault.

The patrol was ambushed earlier in the month by Arsal gunmen as it was hunting a man wanted for several terrorist acts, leaving two soldiers dead.

Since then, the military has set up checkpoints at Arsal's entrances, searching all vehicles entering the town and exiting it.

Army chief Gen. Jean Qahwaji said Wednesday “there will not be any compromise with the killers of soldiers or secret deals at the expense of the martyrs' bloods.”

“All those who attacked the members of the army are terrorists and will be pursued wherever they are until they are arrested and referred to the judiciary,” he told the family of army officer Pierre Bashaalani, who was killed in the ambush.

Also Wednesday, President Michel Suleiman told a cabinet session held at Baabda palace that justice would not be achieved unless all the suspects are arrested.