Beirut, Feb 15 (EFE). – The Lebanese army fired tear gas and shots in the air to disperse demonstrators from the pro-Iranian Shiite group Hezbollah, who gathered in Beirut on Saturday to protest the Lebanese authorities’ refusal to allow Iranian planes to land at the capital’s airport.
As EFE was able to , hundreds of protesters began to gather on the main road leading to Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday afternoon in response to a call by Hezbollah.
The demonstrators attempted to break through army barriers as troops fired tear gas and bullets in the air to disperse and prevent them from advancing toward the airport.
The Lebanese army tightened security in central Beirut, especially around the airport, after groups of masked protesters, allegedly from Hezbollah, attacked the UN peacekeeping convoy (UNIFIL) on its way to the airport on Friday.
The attackers set one vehicle on fire, and the outgoing deputy commander of the Blue Helmets was injured, according to UNIFIL.
State news agency NNA confirmed clashes between demonstrators and army personnel who prevented them from approaching the airport entrance.
It did not specify whether there were any casualties; however, Hezbollah-d al-Mayadeen TV said ambulances were taking several wounded to hospitals in Beirut.
Hezbollah spokesmen confirmed the group was protesting a decision by Lebanese authorities to prevent Iranian planes from landing in Beirut.
On Wednesday, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed that Hezbollah and Iran’s Quds Force were using Beirut airport to smuggle funds using civilian flights to arm Hezbollah.
Mahmoud al-Qamati, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, said during Saturday’s protest that the decision to prevent the Iranian plane from landing at Beirut airport was “an insult to the state and the security services,” and asked, “Why are you submitting to American and Israeli dictates?”
Hezbollah’s media officer in Beirut, Abu Hadi Kareem, distanced his group from Friday’s riots in which the UNIFIL convoy was attacked.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his government had offered two planes from Lebanon’s state-owned Middle East Airlines to repatriate the Lebanese from Tehran, hoping for an agreement with the Iranian authorities.
He warned, however, that the government would not tolerate security violations at the airport.
Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ahmed al-Hajar announced that more than 25 people had been arrested following Friday’s riots.
EFE
Egc-kba-fa/mcd
