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Two people were killed in Lebanon during a clash between Hezbollah fighters and supporters of a right-wing party. The clash occurred after a truck carrying weapons for Hezbollah overturned in the Christian village of Kahale. The sides accused each other of initiating the clash, with residents surrounding the truck demanding to know its contents. Hezbollah claimed that its fighters were attacked by armed men, while footage showed a gunman shooting at Hezbollah fighters before being killed. The Lebanese military confirmed the presence of ammunition on the truck and launched an investigation. Opposition to Hezbollah has grown in Lebanon due to the country’s economic crisis. South Front reported
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On August 9, a fatal clash occurred in Lebanon between Hezbollah fighters and supporters of a right-wing party in the Christian village of Kahale, situated approximately 12 kilometers southeast of Beirut.
The confrontation erupted when a truck overturned on a road passing through Kahale, with local residents claiming that the vehicle was transporting weapons for the influential Shiite armed group. Tragically, a member of Hezbollah and a village resident lost their lives in the ensuing clash. Both sides have accused each other of initiating the deadly incident.
Kahale mayor Abdo Abi Khalil stated that following the accident, townspeople surrounded the truck, demanding to know its contents. In response, Hezbollah fighters guarding the truck opened fire on the residents to keep them at bay, resulting in the death of one person, according to the mayor.
Hezbollah, on the other hand, released a statement asserting that one of its fighters sustained injuries during the incident and subsequently succumbed to them.
“A group of armed individuals… in the vicinity gathered and launched an attack” against those escorting the truck, read the statement.
“They began by hurling rocks, and then resorted to gunfire,” it added, noting that one of their fighters was shot and injured before succumbing to the wounds.
Footage from the scene corroborates Hezbollah’s version of events, showing an armed individual firing upon Hezbollah fighters who were guarding the truck, resulting in the injury of one of them. The fighters responded with live ammunition, fatally shooting the gunman.
Local lawmakers from the Lebanese Forces, a right-wing Christian party opposed to Hezbollah, accused the group of transporting weapons in the truck and condemned the killing of a Kahale resident.
In a statement issued a day after the incident, the Lebanese military confirmed the presence of ammunition aboard the truck. The army deployed its forces to quell the clash, subsequently transferring the truck’s cargo to a military facility and initiating an investigation.
Hezbollah identified the fighter killed in the clash as Ahmad Ali Kassas, while the other casualty was identified as Fadi Bejjani, reportedly a member of the right-wing Christian Kataeb Party, which also opposes Hezbollah.
Opposition to Hezbollah within Lebanon has grown in recent years amidst the country’s economic crisis. Political parties formerly aligned with Israel during the civil war, such as the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb, now play a significant role in exerting pressure on the Iran-allied group, with support from the United States and other regional powers.
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