The announcement by the Lebanese army regarding the death of troops official Pascal Suleiman has come as a shock, especially after earlier information suggested that he was safe and would be released within hours. However, the grim reality unfolded as he was assassinated by his kidnappers due to a car theft, according to the army's statement. Information indicated that the victim’s body was transported to Al-Basel Hospital inside Syrian territory, while coordination is underway for its delivery to the Red Cross, which will take it to his family.
Al-Hadath channel reported that sources within the Lebanese Forces stated that the motive behind the killing of Pascal Suleiman, the party's Byblos coordinator, was not criminal. The sources indicated that there are suspicions surrounding Suleiman's death that certainly do not relate to a theft, adding: "We reject any tendency to overlook a serious investigation into Suleiman's murder."
The Lebanese Forces emphasized: "The information leaked regarding the motives for the crime does not align with the facts; we consider the martyrdom of our comrade Pascal Suleiman to be an act of murder carried out deliberately and with premeditation, and until proven otherwise, we regard it as a political assassination."
As the news spread, Interior and Municipalities Minister Bassam Mawlawi announced an extraordinary meeting of the Central Internal Security Council for tomorrow afternoon to discuss security conditions following the murder of Pascal Suleiman. Minister Mawlawi will speak after the meeting.
Tensions escalated in the streets, with gatherings and clashes occurring with owners of Syrian-registered vehicles. The Lebanese army deployed between Chiyah and Ain al-Rummaneh. Following the military statement about Pascal Suleiman's death, the municipality of Mefouk-Qattara called on the authorities to clarify all circumstances of the crime to the public and to reveal all those involved from Syrian and Lebanese gangs.
They also requested immediate general security deployment in the Mount Lebanon governorate, particularly in the Metn, Byblos, Keserwan, and Batroun areas, and demanded strict and deterrent measures against violators and lawbreakers of both Lebanese and Syrian nationalities, as well as addressing the situations of Syrian gangs threatening the security of citizens and safe villages without exception.
The statement added: "It would have been better to preserve the lives and safety of people in these areas, which are entirely under state control and faithfully pay their taxes, before thinking of expanding security deployments into other areas."
A source from the Lebanese Forces mentioned to Al-Markaziya: "The killing of Pascal Suleiman is a described political crime, and we will follow up on this matter. We will not remain silent about this crime, which has nothing to do with ransom and is not a personal matter but a distinctly political one."
In his first comment, the brother of the victim Pascal Suleiman posted on his account: “We lost him, and we won't be able to get him back even after 100 years.”
Minister of Defense in the caretaker government Maurice Slim condemned the murder of the Lebanese Forces member Pascal Suleiman by his kidnappers. Slim pointed out that the army's intelligence directorate has managed to arrest most of the perpetrators of this heinous crime, with ongoing investigations under the supervision of the relevant judiciary to impose the severest penalties on them. He extended his condolences to the "family of the victim and the leadership of the Lebanese Forces," urging "all concerned parties to exercise restraint and manage reactions to prevent those behind this heinous crime from achieving their goals, especially in disturbing security and harming stability," adding, "The blood of Pascal Suleiman will not be shed in vain, and justice will take its course in light of the ongoing investigations, which will reveal all the details surrounding the crime and all participants in it."
A statement was issued by the "Popular Emergency Committee" in the Batroun area, stating: "Tomorrow should be a day of national mourning and solidarity with the family of the martyr Pascal Suleiman... If the Prime Minister does not make this decision, we should, in Batroun, close official and private institutions and schools through a self-imposed Batrouni decision. This is what should happen."
