Two Clashes at Hizbullah Checkpoints in Baalbek, 2 Hurt

Two people were wounded on Wednesday as a dispute between members of a political party and young men from the al-Solh family erupted into gunfire in Baalbek, state-run National News Agency reported.

It said the wounded were a Lebanese man and a Syrian man, adding that the army intervened and contained the situation.

Meanwhile, LBCI television said a man from al-Solh family opened fire in the air after a verbal dispute with Hizbullah members manning a checkpoint in the Baalbek neighborhood of al-Sharawneh. The shooting did not cause any casualties according to the TV network.

In a separate incident, three members of al-Shiyyah family argued with Hizbullah men at a checkpoint in Baalbek, according to LBCI. A Syrian passerby was lightly injured as the dispute erupted into shooting in the air, LBCI said.

Around 1,000 army troops and security forces deployed Monday in Beirut's southern suburbs, assuming control of checkpoints set up by Hizbullah in the area.

The security points were established after car bombings in the southern suburbs that killed 27 people on August 15 and wounded more than 50 on July 9.

Following the bombings, Hizbullah turned the southern suburbs into a fortress with guards in civilian clothes policing the streets, stopping and searching cars, and asking motorists for their identity cards.

Hizbullah has always kept a tight grip on its Dahieh stronghold, but its security apparatus became increasingly visible after the attacks, raising tensions.

There were multiple incidents with citizens and journalists at the checkpoints, and a clash at one with Palestinian refugees earlier this month left one dead and four injured.