Sleiman's murder triggers backlash against Syrian refugees

The killing of Lebanese Forces Jbeil coordinator Pascal Sleiman by a Syrian gang has triggered a backlash against Syrian refugees

"The number of people arrested for kidnapping and killing... Sleiman, rose to seven, all of them Syrian," a judicial official told AFP.

"The kidnappers admitted that their goal was stealing the victim's car," the official added.

On Monday, hundreds of residents blocked roads in Byblos, with footage circulating on social media of violence against Syrians -- many of them refugees from their country's more than decade-old civil war.

Syrian refugee Abdullah, 21, who lives in Byblos, told AFP that the backlash had spread fear in the vulnerable community.

"I hope that those responsible will be held to account, but not the entire (Syrian) population" in Lebanon, Abdullah said, asking to be identified by his first name only for security reasons.

Ramzi Kaiss of Human Rights Watch said Beirut must ensure "that the investigation into the killing is thorough and transparent in light of decades of impunity in Lebanon for politically sensitive killings".

But "the attempts to scapegoat the entire refugee population are deplorable and should be denounced because they threaten to fuel already ongoing violence against Syrians in Lebanon," Kaiss told AFP.

On Monday evening, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and called for "everyone to exercise self-control".