Army Warns Outlaws, Vows to Confront them with All Means

The army said in a communique on Friday that it will not tolerate outlaws and will confront them with all the available means.

“The army command called for self-restraint and not to b driven by rumors,” the statement said.

The communique said that gunmen opened fire at an army checkpoint at dawn in the Masnaa area and Majdel Anjar prompting troops to respond the sources of fire.

It said that the army detained 22 suspects.

The communique also noted that an army patrol also arrested a number of armed men in the southern city of Sidon and seized in their possession military equipment and arms.

Earlier, Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji said in comments published in As Safir newspaper that the military will not tolerate any security violations, stressing that it will confront any attempts to destabilize the country.

The army “will not tolerate attempts to undermine the security and stability of the Lebanese,” Qahwaji said.

He described the current situation as “delicate” and “difficult,” saying: “The current stage demands the Lebanese to be aware of the dangers awaiting them and their repercussions, which imposes on to cooperate to end the tension.”

Qahwaji stressed that the army will “fully carry out its duties to take the country to safety.”

Since the eruption of Syria's clashes in 2011, Lebanon has been witnessing several security incidents in the northern city of Tripoli, the southern port city of Sidon, along the Lebanese-Syrian border and in several other regions.

Security sources told As Safir that the army has been put on “alert” to end sedition.

Multi-confessional Lebanon, which fought a bitter civil war from 1975-1990, is deeply divided over the conflict in neighboring Syria, which is complicating its political life.

The March 14 opposition widely supports the Sunni-led uprising against President Bashar Assad, while the Hizbullah and its allies is actively aiding his forces inside Syria. At the same time, some Sunni fighters have gone to help the rebels.