Despite the growing fears of tension in Sunni-majority towns in both the Bekaa and the North, the risks at stake are preventing concerned parties from taking major action.
Lebanon’s security crisis is intensifying daily amid growing fears stemming from the interference of regional and local actors. Today, three main regions in Lebanon are under increasing security pressure: Ersal; the North (Akkar, Minieh, Doniyeh, and Tripoli); and the West Bekaa and al-Arkoub.
Heightened security alerts about the serious situation in these regions seem justified following the clashes that erupted in Ersal this past August. The clashes had major repercussions that are still affecting the security situation throughout Lebanon in light of daily scenes and reported protests and security raids.
Some political circles admit that a number of politicians and high ranking figures are aligning themselves with “Sunni” projects and ideas, which is raising doubts among people of other faiths. For example, the Council of Maronite Bishops called on official Muslim authorities on Wednesday, October 1, to declare a clear position on what they described as “a non-religious terrorist phenomena.”