Shooting between Arsal-Labweh Sparks Heavy Army Deployment

The Lebanese army made on Thursday a heavy deployment in the areas of al-Labweh and Arsal in the Northeast after residents of the two towns exchanged gunfire.

The deployment came amid high tension caused by sectarian splits in the country, which were exacerbated by the war in Syria.

The National News Agency said the military deployed after armed men from the Sunni town of Arsal opened fire on residents from al-Labweh, drawing retaliatory fire.

Al-Labweh is majority Shiite. There was no report of casualties in the shooting.

On Sunday, four Lebanese men were killed in an ambush in Wadi Rafeq which is not far from the two towns.

The murder of the men – two from the Jaafar clan and another from Amhaz family - hiked the sectarian tensions and concerns over the spillover of the civil war raging in Syria.

Gunmen from the families of the slain men took to the streets and set up roadblocks, accusing Arsal residents of being behind the killings.

But the tension was later contained.

The Jaafar and Amhaz clans are well-known Shiite families in the region of Baalbek and Hermel.

Reports said Thursday that the army intelligence arrested one of the suspects in the Wadi Rafeq attack.

He was identified as Saleh Abdullah. No further details were available.