Funeral Procession Takes Place for LDP Member Killed in Qabrshmoun Clashes

The funeral procession of Lebanese Democratic Party member, Rami Salman who was killed in Sunday’s Qabrshmoun clashes, kicked off on Friday in his hometown of Ramlieh.

Salman and another man, Samer Abi Farraj, were killed in armed clashes in the Aley town of Qabrshmoun when the convoy of State Minister for Refugee Affairs Saleh al-Gharib was passing through Aley. Both men were bodyguards of the Minister.

Salman’s body was moved from the Bshamoun hospital to his hometown in Ramlieh in the morning on Friday where hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their condolences.

The LDP leader MP Talal Arsaln attended the funeral.

On Sunday, Progressive Socialist Party supporters (of ex-MP Walid Jumblat) closed roads in Qabrshmoun to prevent Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil from touring the region. An armed clash erupted between the convoy of al-Gharib and the people who were closing the road to prevent Bassil from passing. Two guards were killed and one person was critically injured.

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.