The Army Command announced today, Saturday, that a citizen was shot in the Black Qurna area, leading to his death, followed by another citizen being killed in the same area later. The army deployed in the region and is working to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, arresting several individuals, and seizing military weapons and a quantity of ammunition. The army emphasized that "all citizens must not approach the military training area in Black Qurna under penalty of responsibility and for their safety, to prevent similar incidents."
In response to the incident, the municipality of Bsharri issued a statement calling for "security and judicial authorities to take the initiative to arrest the criminals and bring them to justice," following the murder of young Haitham Touq in Black Qurna. The head of the Bsharri Municipal Union, Mayor Elie Makhlouf, stressed that "the attack that occurred in Black Qurna confirms that when the state is not firm in imposing its authority and resolving disputes, it leaves the matter to aggressors who think they are stronger than the state due to political protections." He expressed condolences to "the families of those who fell as martyrs in an area that has given many martyrs defending Lebanon and their lands, but the true solace lies in handing over the criminals and determining the circumstances of what happened through a transparent and swift investigation conducted by the Lebanese army, which we trust."
Makhlouf confirmed that "the Bsharri district is in mourning, standing united against any aggression and sectarian strife, repeatedly asserting that our refuge is the state, hoping that it will side with the truth and the wronged, not the aggressors." He wished that "spiritual authorities, led by Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, play a role in calming souls, without it meaning abandoning accountability for those who killed our youth and resolving the chronic property dispute."
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati both made a series of calls emphasizing the pursuit of the perpetrators. Meanwhile, Judge Samiranda Nassar has begun investigating the circumstances of this crime.
**Political Condemnations**
On the political front, the head of the "Karamah" movement, MP Faisal Karamé, contacted Army Commander Joseph Aoun on Saturday, praising "the wisdom with which the Lebanese army and its commander are dealing with this issue," urging him to "strike with an iron fist against anyone who dares to tamper with security stability." Karamé expressed his desire for the army to "hasten the investigation into the incident and quell the strife at its root."
Karamé also contacted MP William Touq from Bsharri, denouncing the incident, and both Karamé and Touq urged the residents of Baqaa'sefrin in Dunya and the people of Bsharri to "exercise wisdom and restraint and not allow troublemakers to spread preconceptions that would have dire consequences." They called on "security agencies, the army, and the judiciary to work to suppress the strife at its roots and conduct necessary investigations to reveal the truth as soon as possible." They expressed "full trust in the army and the security and judicial authorities," advocating not to frame the incident as a dispute between neighboring regions that have always lived in peace.
Earlier, MP Touq had released a statement calling on "the people of Bsharri and Jbeil and their youth" to "exercise self-control."
From his office, MP William Gibran Touq issued the following statement: "Today, Bsharri has awakened to the tragedy of the assassination of the brave young man Haitham Jamal Hindi Touq by the treacherous sniping of unruly groups that have long breached our land and attempted to drag us into internal conflict that we do not want with our kin in Baqaa'sefrin."
For his part, MP Karim Kabara stated in a statement that "the crime witnessed in Black Qurna is condemned and rejected by all standards." He demanded that "official investigations proceed rapidly through security and judicial institutions, working to contain the strife and promote rational discourse."
MP Tony Franjieh tweeted: "Our condolences to our families in Bsharri and to the Touq family, which has lost youth among its finest. The conflict reaching a violent level could have been avoided were it not for negligence and procrastination. What is required now is to achieve justice through the force of law and the security agencies, called upon to act decisively as a final solution to avoid further deterioration. Mercy for the martyrs."
Moreover, MP Ashraf Rifi affirmed, in a phone call with the head of the "Lebanese Forces" party, Samir Geagea, the responsibility of state authorities in arresting the killer and prosecuting him, and in addressing the repercussions of the crime with wisdom, emphasizing that the priority is to achieve justice. He added: "This crime is suspicious and was preceded months ago by the cutting of ski cables, so we fear a schemed strife, and we assure our people in Bsharri that their martyr is a martyr for all Lebanese, and we stand with them to arrest the killer and prosecute him."
MP Ahmad El Khair expressed his hope that "the crime will be contextualized away from fueling hateful sectarian tensions, and that the voice of reason and wisdom will prevail over other voices and reckless reactions that will only exacerbate matters."
Minister of Media Ziad Makari also commented on the Black Qurna incident via his Twitter account, stating: "The wound in Bsharri is bleeding and we are all one in this wound. What happened today is a heinous crime, and souls will not be at peace until the state fulfills its duties in arresting the killers to ensure justice." He urged "the Lebanese army and all security and judicial agencies to uncover the crime as soon as possible to quell the strife." Makari asked the media "to be precise and refer to relevant security authorities before publishing any information given the sensitivity of the situation." He concluded, "Bsharri is in our hearts, and all condolences to the Touq family."
