Naharnet

Suleiman Tasks Army to Determine Location from where Rockets that Landed in Hermel Were Fired

President Michel Suleiman expressed on Monday his “grave concern” with the shelling that took place in the Bekaa region of Hermel over the weekend.

He consequently tasked the Army Command “to determine the location from where they were fired in order to tackle the situation with the appropriate means.”

“At the time when the Lebanese political and security forces are striving to implement the decisions of the Higher Defense Council, they are surprised by the security operations, such as the firing of rockets, that have obviously become a way to create tensions in Lebanon and spread the crisis in Syria to the country,” he added.

“Lebanon will confront such attempts and take all measures to protect stability and civil peace,” Suleiman stressed.

Five rockets landed in and around Hermel, a Hizbullah stronghold, on Sunday, a security source told Agence France Presse on condition of anonymity.

"Two rockets landed in the town of Hermel, in an area between the Mabarrat teaching association and the Masharii al-Qaa area, causing no casualties," the source said.

"Another three rockets have landed now on the outskirts of Hermel," he added.

It was not immediately clear whether the rockets were launched from inside Lebanon or from across the border in strife-torn Syria, said the source, although state-run National News Agency said they were fired from Syrian territory.

Hermel and other areas of eastern Lebanon, a bastion of Hizbullah, have been hit by several rocket attacks launched from Syria in recent months.

The repeated violations prompted Suleiman in June to file a memorandum to the United Nations and Arab League.


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