Six killed in Beirut gunfire

BEIRUT: Tank deployments and deadly exchanges of fire turned Beirut into a war zone yesterday after a demonstration organised by Shia parties against the lead investigator into last year’s devastating port blast turned violent.

Heavy fire rang out as ambulances rushed the wounded through the deserted streets, a few blocks from the Palace of Justice, where black-clad protesters had gathered moments earlier to demand Tarek Bitar’s removal.

The judge has in recent days been in the sights of the Hezbollah and Amal parties in particular for insisting on subpoenaing top officials in his probe into the port blast.

According to medics, at least six people were killed and 20 wounded by gunfire.

Residents cowered in corridors away from windows, as some were shattered by the gunfire.

Pictures circulating on social media showed children in a nearby school ducking under desks and gathering on the floor outside classrooms.

“I’m with my cousin and my aunt, and we’re hiding in a space between rooms,” said Bissan al-Fakih, who lives a few hundred metres from the clashes.

“We’re wondering if we could leave, but we’re not sure if there is a way out.”

The army reported “bursts of gunfire in the area of Tayouneh-Badaro” in the mainly Shia southern suburbs.

“The army rushed to cordon off the area and deploy in its neighbourhoods and their entrance. Patrols started as did the search for the shooters to detain them,” it said.

The army warned it would open fire at anyone firing live rounds, calling on civilians to evacuate the area.

“Hezbollah taking to the streets and throwing all its weight in this battle … could lead to big clashes and to the destabilisation of the country,” said political analyst Karim Bitar.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for calm to be restored and warned against attempts to drag Lebanon into violence.

Hezbollah and Amal accused “armed and organised groups” of assaulting their supporters.

“They were exposed to direct fire from snipers, followed by intense shooting,” they said in a statement.

They said the violence was deliberate and called on their supporters to remain calm.

Seen as a last hope for justice by many Lebanese but condemned as biased and corrupt by political leaders, Bitar has sparked deep divisions within the government between those who want to keep him in his place and those who are pushing for him to go.

The Court of Cassation yesterday turned down a lawsuit filed by two ex-ministers demanding his replacement, a court official said.

“Bitar does not fall under the court’s jurisdiction so it does not have the authority to consider requests for his dismissal,” the official said.

It is the second time this month that the judiciary has ruled in favour of Bitar, who is hailed by human rights groups and relatives of blast victims as a symbol of judicial independence in a country where political impunity has long been the norm.

The ruling, which goes into effect immediately, would allow Bitar to resume inquiries into the August 4, 2020, explosion which killed more than 200 people and destroyed large swathes of the capital.

But the investigator’s fate is all but clear as Hezbollah and Amal press ahead with a campaign aimed at removing him.

Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah on Monday called for an “honest” judge to replace Bitar.

Ali Hasan Khalil, a senior Amal movement lawmaker, threatened a “political escalation” if the course of the investigation “was not rectified” after Bitar on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against him for failing to show up for questioning.

Tensions spilled into cabinet with a meeting on Tuesday ending in a row as ministers affiliated with Hezbollah and Amal pressed the government to support their demand to replace Bitar.

A session scheduled for Wednesday was postponed, signalling no agreement had been reached, with some ministers arguing the government should not intervene in judicial matters.