New Year's Eve celebrations in Lebanon did not go well, despite all security measures. As the new year approached, heavy gunfire was reported in celebration, injuring three people with minor injuries and hitting two Middle East Airlines planes at Beirut airport. A passenger narrowly escaped when a bullet lodged in his cellphone.
While the intensity of the gunfire on New Year’s Eve across various Lebanese regions was notable, sources from Middle East Airlines confirmed that two of the company's planes were hit by stray bullets at midnight. They clarified to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the damage was minor and that both planes were repaired for normal operation.
Citizens were also victims of stray bullets, with three reported injuries. Additionally, a bullet struck a passenger's phone as he exited Beirut airport at midnight while pulling his luggage cart. The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces stated that the incidents of "irresponsible and uncivilized" gunfire resulted in three people sustaining minor injuries in the Burj Abi Haidar area of Beirut, as well as in the Al-Dum and Al-Farz neighborhoods and Al-Zahriyeh in Tripoli. Two planes were also damaged while on the tarmac at Rafic Hariri International Airport.
The Directorate noted that after issuing strict orders to security personnel to intensify their investigations to identify the shooters, they have identified 116 suspected individuals so far, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend them in coordination with the judiciary. They called on citizens to assist in uncovering those involved to "help reduce this phenomenon by sending documented information (photos or videos…) about individuals who insist on expressing themselves in this criminal and unethical manner, fully aware that their actions threaten community security."
Despite these incidents occurring on New Year's Eve, the security forces considered the security operation that night to be successful. They stated that the measures taken by the Internal Security Forces across Lebanon for the New Year’s celebration were successful, with no significant security incidents reported and no fatalities in traffic accidents.
Moreover, incidents involving aircraft are not new at Beirut airport; a similar incident occurred weeks ago when a Middle East Airlines plane arriving from Jordan was hit by a stray bullet during its landing at the airport, although no injuries were reported. The General Director of Middle East Airlines, Mohamad Al-Hout, stated that between 7 to 8 aircraft are subjected to stray bullets annually from areas surrounding Beirut airport, but this was the first time a plane was hit while in flight.
