The attack by the Lebanese army led to the burning of a large section of the refugee camps
At least one child was killed when the Lebanese army raided five Syrian refugee camps in the city of ‘Irsaal early this morning, as part of its campaign to prosecute the hijackers of Lebanese soldiers.
The Lebanese army set fire to a large part of the camps, as well as beating and humiliating refugees, including women and children. Women and children were detained under the sun for long hours, and more than 450 people were arrested, most of them males.
The official Lebanese News Agency said that the Lebanese army had completed its raid of the Syrian refugee camps in ‘Irsaal, and that it had stopped dozens of Lebanese and Syrians that had launched attacks on its units close to the vicinity of Battalion 83.
The Lebanese army also accused unknown armed groups of burning the camps; in a press release today, the “Tawjeeh al-Ma’nawi” unit said that whilst the Lebanese army inspected a Syrian refugee camp for accused people, three elements riding a motorcycle attempted to burn anther camp for refugees close to the first. According to the press release, the Lebanese army shot at them and injured them. They were then taken to a hospital for treatment.
This raid comes as part of a series of attacks launched by the Lebanese security, army and militias which are allied with it – particularly that of Hizbollah and the Amal Movement- against Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and particularly those in ‘Irsaal, since the beginning of August.
The Lebanese army and Hizbollah militias began their attacks on ‘Irsaal on 2/8/2014, with large attacks on the refugee camps, causing the death of a number of refugees as well as the displacement of thousands of Syrian refugees from the camps to the Syrian borders where they remained in limbo. Some managed to return into Syrian land, whilst others moved to other areas inside Lebanon.