The military intelligence arrested 17 individuals for acts of vandalism and the burning of the Tripoli municipality building.
The National News Agency reported that the army command's Directorate of Orientation issued a statement clarifying that a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence apprehended 17 people for committing acts of rioting and vandalism, attacks on public and private property, throwing Molotov cocktails at security forces, and suspicion of involvement in the arson of the municipality building and throwing hand grenades at the Tripoli Serail. The statement added that an investigation has begun under the supervision of the competent judiciary, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the other involved parties.
The Internal Security Forces confirmed in a previous statement their readiness for any judicial investigation related to the attacks on the Tripoli Serail. They clarified that they provided protection for the Serail, as it represents the state's image and authority, despite the rioters’ attempts to storm it using 16 military grenades and around 600 Molotov cocktails, aiming to kill and injure as many personnel as possible and to burn the Serail. When they failed in their plan, they turned to the Tripoli municipality building and set it on fire.
Regarding the forces stationed inside the Serail, the statement explained that as the pressure on the security forces intensified and the threat to the Serail and the personnel tasked with its protection increased in the evening, with the riot police numbering no more than 100 elements, additional orders were given for the powerful force in the Information Branch and the Falcons Company in the mobile forces to proceed from Beirut to Tripoli. The necessary plans to protect the Serail were implemented accurately to maintain security and order, utilizing all available legal means to protect the Serail, and this was successfully achieved. The Internal Security Forces affirmed their readiness to undergo any judicial investigation involving everyone and are prepared for accountability.
Walid Jumblatt, the head of the "Arab Unification" Party, called on President Michel Aoun for a serious investigation, revealing the involvement of officers in the events that occurred in Tripoli.
