Mayors, municipal unions, and various civil and youth representatives from the Bekaa region organized a protest at the intersection near the town of Nabi Sheet, in response to the crime committed by armed individuals a week ago in the area.
The National News Agency reported that the mayors and municipal union representatives held a protest at the Al-Safari area on the international road at the Nabi Sheet intersection, to condemn the crime that resulted in the death of southern citizen Jihad Al-Waizani and to call for the arrest of the perpetrators and the imposition of just punishment on them. The agency quoted the Mayor of Nabi Sheet, Hassan Ali Al-Mousawi, stating: “We raise a cry alongside the families and community figures from the Nabi Sheet intersection, near the location where the heinous crime was committed by bandits who are strangers to the essence, values, customs, and traditions of the residents of this area, which has long been known for helping those in need and standing up for the oppressed, characterized by dignity and pride.” He added that the martyr Jihad Al-Waizani was not only a martyr for his hometown Shuqra and his family but for the nation, and we have all lost him.
Al-Mousawi called for the establishment of a security checkpoint at the Nabi Sheet intersection on the international Riyaq-Baalbek road, where robbery, theft, and crimes that tarnish the reputation of this area and its residents occur frequently, and urged for intensified patrols and necessary measures to ensure security and safety.
For his part, the President of the Eastern Baalbek Municipal Union, Engineer Ali Hussein, called on the state and the President to impose the harshest penalties on the perpetrators, insisting that justice must prevail in the region since justice restores matters to their rightful state. He cited the saying of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib: “Two unknown blessings are health and safety; in their absence, we lose the dearest of blessings.”
He added that martyr Jihad Al-Waizani is a martyr for the region before being a martyr for the Shuqra area, expressing hope that he would be the last martyr to fall in the struggle for a livelihood. He urged security forces to effectively carry out their duties, with support from parties, municipalities, and religious, economic, and social figures.
Hussein Murtadha, speaking on behalf of the "Youth Gatherings of Bekaa," called on the security forces to “assert their authority on the ground, conduct patrols, and act decisively against all disruptors of security and safety, putting an end to the security breakdown in the region.” Meanwhile, the head of the Northern Bekaa Mukhtars Association, Mukhtar Ali Al-Haj Hassan, emphasized that there can be no justification for such criminal acts against innocent people, reiterating that he will not accept any tarnishing of their region, known for the dignity and pride of its people.
