Report: Arsal Residents Enraged over Hizbullah Checkpoints
The residents of the Bekaa border town of Arsal contacted several March 14 alliance officials to rebuke arrests carried out by a Hizbullah checkpoint erected on the outskirts of the village, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Saturday.
According to the newspaper, Hizbullah members detained several residents from Arsal and questioned them, which angered the residents of Arsal.
The reported pointed out that Hizbullah was previously demanded to remove the erected checkpoints and to hand over security to the army, however, the party failed to comply.
The town lies 12 kilometers from the border with Syria and has been used as a conduit for weapons and rebels to enter Syria, while also serving as a refuge for people fleeing the conflict.
Arsal's residents support the revolt against President Bashar Assad, and the town has become home to thousands of Syrians who have fled the fighting. It has also turned into a route for the trafficking of arms and fighters from and to Syria.
Lebanon is sharply divided over the war in Syria and Arsal is a particular flashpoint as refugees from the uprising and fighters and smugglers hostile to the regime of Assad traverse the border.
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