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A Syrian refugee was killed by a stray bullet fired at midnight to celebrate the start of the new year, according to the National News Agency, in a phenomenon that the authorities have failed to stop despite awareness campaigns for years.
A bullet also penetrated a Lebanese Middle East Airlines plane that was parked at Rafic Hariri International Airport, without affecting air traffic at the airport, an AFP source reported on Friday.
The National Agency reported that the Syrian refugee died “after being hit by a stray bullet that penetrated her head inside the Taybeh camp” for Syrian refugees in the city of Baalbek, who witnessed strong shots in the air.
The phenomenon of shooting into the air generates great concern in the country, with the continuous deaths of victims, the last of which was the prominent soccer player, Muhammad Atwi, who was injured in August and died the following month.
A campaign launched by the Internal Security Forces a few days ago under the hashtag “reckless_bis_better” to warn of the dangers of this phenomenon, failed to reduce injuries and victims.
Social media users in Beirut and various areas posted photos and videos documenting the shootings live at midnight. One of them wrote on Facebook: “The bullets of reckless people.” Another asked about the source of the lead price at a time when the country is going through its worst economic crisis.
On Thursday, security forces specifically warned of “stray bullets falling at the airport, threatening the safety of aviation and the lives of travelers and arrivals.” However, this did not prevent a bullet from penetrating one of the aircraft.
A Middle East Airlines source told France Press that the damaged Airbus plane “E321neo” is one of seven new planes that Lebanon will receive in 2020. He explained that the plane is currently under review.
The increase in bullet fire in the air reflects the extent of the uncontrolled proliferation of individual weapons in Lebanon since the end of the civil war (1975-1990) and raises the need for strict enforcement and updating of the laws.
