Destruction of Cannabis Field in Yammouneh Resumes
The army and Internal Security Forces continued on Tuesday destroying cannabis fields in the town of al-Yammouneh in northern Bekaa without any reported incidents
According to the National News Agency, the operation was accompanied by seven armored personnel carriers and agriculture tractors.
The report said that 175 dunums of cannabis crops have been so far destroyed.
Head of al-Yammouneh municipality Mohammed Sharif said that the “situation is calm.”
“The farmers welcomed the step after Prime Minister (Najib Miqati) vowed to adopt alternative policies by conducting development projects in the area,” Sharif pointed out.
However, he warned that the residents will again plant these kind of crops and block roads if the PM failed to carry out the agreement.
In August, the residents of al-Yammouneh staged a sit-in in protest against the destruction of cannabis crops in the region.
One person was injured when farmers opened fire on a van transporting workers to help the ISF destroy cannabis fields in the area.
There are over 30,000 dunums of cannabis crops in the northern Bekaa and security forces have so far destroyed around 6,725 dunums.
The area for long has been reputed as a fertile ground for drugs. During the civil war, the drug trade thrived into a multi-billion dollar business.
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