Armed Clashes Renewed between Al-Laylaki's Zoaiter, Hjoula Famlies

Armed clashes were renewed on Friday afternoon between the Zoaiter and the Hjoula families in the al-Laylaki area in Beirut's southern suburbs.

"Machinguns were used in the clashes as gunshots were heard in the area,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

MTV remarked that army patrols are roaming the area following the armed fighting's eruption.

But later radio Voice of Lebanon (93.3) said the security forces were able to contain the family clashes.

The local committees had called earlier on Friday for setting up “friendship checkpoints” at 4:00 pm in the area, but later announced canceling these plans following the renewed clashes.

On Sunday, Hasan Hjoula was critically wounded in an armed ambush in the Beirut southern suburb of al-Kafaat when fighting erupted between the two families.

“Against the backdrop of old family disputes, gunmen in an SUV opened fire from light assault weapons on a citizen in the al-Kafaat area, wounding him critically,” an Army Command statement said.

And in August, two men were wounded in renewed clashes between the Hjoula and Zoaiter families also in al-Laylaki.

During a previous round of clashes in June, the army explained that the unrest erupted over non-political reasons.