Hezbollah prevents army from entering Nabi sheet to arrest wanted suspects

Clashes erupted last week between the army and wanted suspects in the Baalbek district after it attempted to arrest a suspect from the Masri family, reported the daily An Nahar on Tuesday. He managed to make it to the town of Nabi Sheet upon which the army made the necessary contacts with Hizbullah officials, since it is a party stronghold, in order to be allowed to storm the house that was harboring Masri, but it was barred from doing so, it added. Hizbullah explained that Nabi Sheet is one of the party’s “fortresses of resistance” and it would therefore prevent it from being stormed. The daily explained that early last week an army patrol had chased Masri along the Hourtaala road in the Baalbek district and he soon sought refuge at the house of relatives known to be major cocaine smugglers from Columbia. They are also known for manufacturing heroin before distributing them to drug dealers in Lebanon. The suspect requested the protection of his relatives, who prepared for a confrontation with the army with various gunmen, continued An Nahar. Upon the arrival of the army patrol, the gunmen began randomly firing at it, wounding 19 of them, some of whom have been left in critical condition. The gunmen and Masri soon fled the scene and headed to Nabi Sheet.