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At least four airliners of Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) were damaged as a result of gun salutes on New Year’s Eve, Sky News – Arabia television reported, quoted by TASS.
According to a source from the company’s administration, after conducting a technical inspection, the specialists allowed the use of only one aircraft. The others have suffered casing damage and need to be repaired, BTA reported.
Residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut near the Rafik Hariri International Airport expressed their joy for the New Year by shooting into the air. Earlier yesterday, the head of Lebanon’s internal security forces, Brigadier General Imad Osman, said that the gendarmerie had fulfilled its task of protecting the population of the capital and other cities from gunfire on New Year’s Eve. “As a result of the preventive measures taken by the authorities, we have managed to prevent cases of citizens being executed, as often happened during indiscriminate shootings in previous years,” said the general. He clarified that the police had arrested dozens of violators of the prohibition of salvos with firearms.
However, according to the Lebanese news agency, a Syrian woman in the refugee camp in the city of Baalbek died after being hit in the head by a stray bullet, the Associated Press reported.
Shooting pistols and machine guns into the air is common in some parts of Lebanon during weddings, funerals, speeches by political leaders and even a student taking an exam, the agency notes.
In September, 33-year-old celebrated Lebanese footballer Mohamed Atui died almost a month after being shot in the head by a stray bullet fired by those present at the funeral of one of the victims of the massive explosion in the East Beirut port summer.
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