An appalling crime took place overnight in Kaftoun, Koura District, where three people were murdered in cold blood by an armed group.
According to the preliminary information, late on Friday, a Honda car with no license plates entered Kaftoun and drove around its streets mysteriously.
Feeling suspicious, 2 municipal police members, aided by the mayor’s son, pursued and pulled the car over before the unidentified (reportedly 3 or 4) individuals stepped out and opened fire from military-grade firearms, killing Alaa Fares, George Sarkis, and Fadi Sarkis.
When security forces arrived at the scene, the incident had happened close to 2 hours beforehand, according to Mayor Nakhle Fares, who is the father of Alaa Fares.
Investigations are underway to track and uncover the perpetrators, who fled the scene into the nearby woods right after murdering the three victims.
As for the vehicle they left behind, it was discovered that it contained several firearms, hand grenades, electrical wires, and silencers, Fares told reporters.
ثلاث قتلى من عناصر شرطة بلدية كفتون،والمعلومات الأولية تُفيد أنّ سيارة دون لوحات حاولت دخول البلدة وعندما عمل العناصر على منعهم من الدخول قاموا بإطلاق النار عليهم وأردوهم على الفور وقد تركوا السيارة التي كانوا على متنها وفرّوا نحو وادي نهر العصفور حيث تقوم القوى الامنية بمطاردتهم pic.twitter.com/Lwcwd7TnIG
— Zahle Dar Salem (@zahledarsalem) August 21, 2020
The ongoing investigations have so far identified the current owner of the vehicle as a Palestinian national from Saida. It was also revealed that the car has been owned by more than 10 different people in the past year alone.
The massacre was a major shock to the residents of Kaftoun, who were startled by the sound of gunfire at night, as well as to people across Lebanon who are still recovering from the trauma caused by the recent explosion.
On his part, Mayor Fares has called on the Interior and Defense Ministries to deploy law enforcement personnel to maintain the security of the area and prevent similar tragedies from repeating in the future.
