Report: Efforts Ongoing to Contain Qabrshmoun Repercussions, Victims to Be Laid to Rest

The Lebanese Democratic Party has set the date for the funeral of two guards of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib, who were killed in Sunday's Qabrshmoun clash, after it had linked the funeral with the extradition of the perpetrators and referring the case to the Judicial Council, Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Friday.

Meanwhile General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim continues his mediation in the case in an effort to contain the repercussions.

Gharib has stressed in response to a question whether the party agreed to set a date for the funeral meant it has backed down from its request to refer the case to the Judicial Council, Gharib said: “Not at all.”

“Out of respect and down at the will of the Druze sheikhs, and in accordance with the well-known tradition it has been decided to bury the martyrs,” the Minister has said after holding talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh on Thursday.

The General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim has also met with head of the Lebanese Democratic Party MP Talal Arslan.

Ibrahim hailed the position of Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat who “said something essential yesterday by announcing that he is under the law,” said Ibrahim.

Ibrahim assured that “things are on the right track,” noting that “the issue of the Judicial Council is not within my jurisdiction seeing as it is related to politics.”

The LDP media office announced Thursday that “Arslan at the request of the Druze Supreme Spiritual Body and wise sheikhs, and in honor of the values ​​and customs,” have agreed with the families of the victims Rami Salman and Samer Abi Farraj to set the funeral date.

A funeral procession for Salman will be held Friday in his hometown of Ramlieh, while that of Abi Farraj is to be held Saturday in the village of Baalshmey.

Two of Gharib's bodyguards were killed and a third was wounded while three Jumblat supporters were injured in a clash involving the minister's convoy in Qabrshmoun.

The two parties have traded blame over the incident, with Gharib and Arslan describing it as an ambush and Jumblat's Progressive Socialist Party accusing the minister's bodyguards of forcing their way and opening fire on protesters.