No Filipino hurt in deadly Beirut street violence

October 16, 2021

A member of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement fires his gun during the funeral of some of their members who were killed during clashes in the Tayouneh neighbourhood of the capital Beirut’s southern suburbs a day earlier, on October 15, 2021. – Lebanon buried today the victims of its deadliest sectarian unrest in years after gunfire gripped central Beirut for hours and revived the ghosts of the civil war. Seven people died and dozens were wounded as a result of violence that erupted Thursday following a rally by Shiite protesters demanding the dismissal of the judge investigating last year’s devastating Beirut port blast. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)

(Eagle News) — The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon reported that “no Filipino” had been hurt in deadly clashes that erupted recently in Beirut that killed at least six people and injured dozens.

The Philippine government said it is monitoring the situation in the Beirut street violence where shots were haphazardly fired into residential facades.

Violence erupted in Lebanon’s capital following a rally by Shiite protesters demanding the removal of the judge investigating last year’s port blast.

The violence has been described as one of the “worst street violence” in over a decade in Beirut.

“The Philippine Embassy in Lebanon reports that no Filipino was hurt in the recent street violence that rocked Beirut yesterday. The Embassy continues to monitor the developing situation,” it said.

The embassy reminded the Filipinos in Lebanon to be vigilant and avoid non-essential travels and crowded areas. It said Lebanon is still under alert level 2.

It said that in case of emergencies, Filipinos in Lebanon may get in touch with the embassy through +961 7085-8086 and

[email protected]

The clashes in Beirut erupted as supporters of the Hezbollah and Amal movements demanded the dismissal of Judge Tarke Bitar, the lead investigator in the Beirut port explosion that killed 215 people last year.

Local reports said the protest began outside the Palace of Justice that escalated when heavy gunfire broke out, killing at least six people and injuring dozens.

A heavy army presence was visible on the streets Friday amid fears of an escalation.

On Thursday, Amal and Hezbollah militiamen in their hundreds filled the streets around Tayouneh, a notorious civil war flashpoint near the spot where the April 1975 attack often presented as the trigger of the conflict occurred.

As a deluge of bullets riddled residential facades, and gaggles of fighters wearing ammunition vests took over the streets and emptied their magazines haphazardly, civilians crouched in homes, terrified.

Supporters of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement attend the funeral of one of their members who was killed during clashes in the Tayouneh neighbourhood of the capital Beirut’s southern suburbs a day earlier, on October 15, 2021.. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP)

One of the six people killed was a mother of five hit in the head by a stray bullet inside her home.

France, the United States and United Nations appealed for calm but also insisted on the need to allow the port explosion probe to continue unhindered.

(with a report from Philippine News Agency, Agence France Presse)