Lebanon’s Interior Minister in the caretaker government, Bassam Al Mawlawi, stated that the assassination of Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces Party, sparked anti-Syrian violence and heightened political tensions among Lebanese.
During a press conference after meeting with security and military officials, Mawlawi highlighted a rise in crimes committed by Syrians, noting that approximately 35% of detainees in Lebanon prisons are Syrian citizens.
He stressed the necessity of limiting the Syrian presence in Lebanon and reiterated his instructions to security forces to strictly enforce Lebanese laws regarding Syrian refugees.
Amid the escalating tensions following Sleiman’s assassination, Mawlawi urged the Lebanese people to maintain calm.
The incident not only triggered anti-Syrian sentiments but also exacerbated existing political rifts within Lebanon.
While Lebanese military authorities initially categorized Sleiman’s murder as a robbery, LF suspects it had underlying political motives.
Lebanon, with a population exceeding 6 million, including a significant refugee population, hosts nearly 785,000 Syrian refugees registered with the UN, as reported by the UN refugee agency.
However, Lebanese officials estimate that the actual number could be as high as 1.5 to 2 million.
Following Sleiman’s kidnapping on Sunday and the discovery of his body on Monday, a video circulated depicting enraged Lebanese individuals assaulting Syrians in the streets and vandalizing vehicles with Syrian license plates across various parts of the country.
This incident further inflamed political and sectarian tensions among Lebanon’s divided political factions.
Earlier this week, unidentified individuals set fire to a Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) ambulance parked in Bayssour Town.
This incident came right after an attack on the SSNP headquarters in the Jdita area, where the perpetrators raised the flag of the Lebanese Forces party.
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