Lebanese families involved in clan violence

Two Lebanese families exchanged fire in Baalbek on Thursday evening, reigniting a historical dispute. The Shuqair and Sulh families from the Beqaa Valley town have been involved in previous clashes which killed two people. A security source said that a member of the Shuqair family "had fired at a house belonging to the Sulh's," who then returned fire. Members of the Sulh family then set fire to Shuqair’s abandoned home, burning it down completely. There were no injuries. At Bir Hassan, pre-existing tribal tensions resulted in the exchange of fire between members of the al-Zubi tribe in one camp and the Taleb and Surour families in another. A member of the Surour family was injured in the incident and a Lebanese army officer intervened to apprehend the suspects. In the Choueifat desert, armed members of the Zeiter and Hamia families also exchanged fire, before the army was able to track down and arrest the gunmen.