Jaja Denies Hezbollah's Claim That His Group Planned Violent Acts

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Jaja denied late on Friday that his party planned to carry out the violent acts that occurred in the Tayouneh area of Beirut, resulting in the deaths of seven, most of whom were Hezbollah supporters. In an interview with Voice of Beirut International, Jaja stated that he held a meeting the day before the violence, which was entirely political, according to Reuters. He clarified that the meeting was to discuss action options if Hezbollah, backed by Iran, succeeded in isolating the investigating judge Tarek Bitar, who is overseeing the investigation into last year's Beirut port explosion. The Lebanese Forces had also previously denied any involvement in the heavy gunfire in Beirut on Thursday and Jaja called for thorough and accurate investigations to determine responsibilities for the events in Beirut. Jaja pointed out that these events, particularly what happened in Tayouneh, occurred due to the protests called for by Hezbollah and the chaos of uncontrolled weapons. The denial by the Lebanese Forces came after both Hezbollah and the Amal Movement blamed the party for the clashes, stating in a statement that groups from the Lebanese Forces engaged in direct sniping and deliberate killing.