Warnings have been issued after video surfaced showing gunmen in Beirut, Lebanon, firing into the air as a plane landed nearby.
Monday’s footage was shot amid gunfire in a capital suburb south of an active airport runway.
During a night of terror in the city, an argument between two families escalated into a violent confrontation, leading to the use of machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades by rivals.
During the landing, the crew of the aircraft were reportedly terrified that a bullet would hit the plane and cause a disaster, as reported by Arab News.
The airport is the last remaining gateway for Lebanese and Syrians who wish to travel abroad, as well as for international and relief organizations like the United Nations and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), so this incident has raised further concerns about aviation safety at the airport.
In the month of November 2022, a Middle East Airlines plane headed to Beirut from Jordan was struck by a stray bullet as it landed. Paula Yacoubian, a member of parliament in Lebanon, was one of the flyers. In this case, nobody got hurt.
Accidental gunfire from nearby funerals and celebrations frequently damages airport infrastructure.
According to a study published in 2021 by Information International, a research consultancy based in Beirut, on average seven people are killed and fifteen injured in Lebanon each year due to stray bullets.
The report found that between 2010 and 2021, there were 81 fatalities and 169 injuries caused by gun violence.
Nearly every day, either due to personal conflicts or a crackdown by security forces, shootings occur in the neighborhood surrounding the airport.
It is a known stronghold for the Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, and weapons are plentiful.
A security official claimed that most of the people living there were from the Baalbek-Hermel area and that hundreds of low-income families were hiding out there.
After the terror attack on Monday night, security forces were stationed all over Beirut and strict measures were put into place to ensure the safety of the city’s residents.
Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transportation Ali Hamieh said seven people were detained by the Lebanese military.
He added that troops are still stationed in the area around the airport as part of the ongoing security crackdown.
While the shooting was certainly a tragedy, the Lebanese government is committed to ensuring the continued safety of its airports and air travel. Anyone who fires shots at random near the airport will be detained, and we will not be lenient,” Hamieh said.
The acting director-general of general security, Brigadier General Elias Baissari, met with airport officials and emphasized the importance of coordination between the security and civil services to ensure the safety of passengers.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain Al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon is becoming increasingly tense as a result of last week’s fighting between militants from the Fatah movement and the Asbat Al-Ansar group, which resulted in the death of Fatah member Mahmoud Zubaidat.
Asbat Al-Ansar has steadfastly refused to hand over the murderer to the authorities in Lebanon. According to security reports, the man has gone into hiding, and the Fatah movement has heightened patrols in the camp neighborhoods it governs.
