On Friday, June 24th, the families of the Abra detainees of the 2013 Sidon Clash staged a sit-in on the 9th anniversary of the event in front of the Abra mosque where the clash had occurred.
This is their second sit-in this year, following their protest on April 1st.
The state-run NNA reported that “the protesters also brandished pictures of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Asir and banners calling for ‘an immediate halt to the injustice done to detainees’ and for their immediate release.”
The 2013 Sidon Clash occurred on June 23rd, 2013 at a Lebanese Army checkpoint near the Abra mosque. The clash involved the Lebanese Army and Sunni militants supporting Ahmed Al-Assir.
The fight resulted from the spillover of the Syrian civil war in Lebanon that heightened tensions between Lebanese Sunnis and Shias after Hezbollah announced its support for the Syrian government.
Death and injuries occurred on both sides during the clash and around 70 Sunni militants were captured and are still detained.
