Minor Scuffles in Zouk, Beirut as Army Seizes Arms from Cars

Protesters scuffled with the army Wednesday in the Zouk Mosbeh area after troops arrested a man whose car contained a box of 9mm bullets, TV networks said.

The army also seized six gas masks from several other cars.

A statement issued by the army said “army units in the various Lebanese regions arrested several young men who were heading to take part in the first anniversary of the Beirut port blast while having quantities of arms and ammunition in their possession.”

The army also posted pictures of the seized arms and equipment on its official Twitter account. The pictures show machineguns, hand grenades, ammunition and various military equipment.

A Lebanese Forces supporter meanwhile assaulted one of the participants in the commemorations in the Beirut port area.

The assaulted man said he had encountered a car whose passengers were hoisting LF flags.

“He asked them to hoist the Lebanese flag or the army flag instead of parties’ flags on such a tragic anniversary and the exchange then escalated into slurs and insults, after which one of the partisan men beat him up in a severe manner,” LBCI TV reported.