BEIRUT, Lebanon — Brital, the Sharawna neighborhood in Baalbek and Dar El Ouassaa are Lebanese localities in the northern Bekaa Valley that have always been classified as being beyond the state’s authority, and known for kidnappings, thefts — especially car thefts — and drug trafficking. These predominantly Shiite areas are currently the subjects of a security operation, which was imposed by the Lebanese army in the entire northern Bekaa Valley on Nov. 15, including strict military procedures to hunt down wanted people, in addition to a series of raids. As the operation has started, the army is now engaged in two wars in the Bekaa Valley: The first is against terrorism, which began with the outbreak of the Syrian war in March 2011 and its repercussions on Lebanon, most recently being the events in Arsal on Aug. 2, and the second against outlaws and those who are wanted by the judiciary. So, what is the importance and background of this plan?
Security sources told Al-Monitor that this operation came into being following the imposition of a security plan in Tripoli and the political, religious and popular calls for the plan to cover all of Lebanon. It also followed a series of criticism toward security forces, who were accused of limiting their operations to the Sunni areas and of applying a double standard. The Sunni street, which got to the point where it felt aggrieved, has sympathized with these positions.
Lately, kidnappings have soared in the specified areas, including those for ransom and counterkidnappings, which escalated tensions. The best evidence was the kidnapping of Ayman Sawan in Saadnayel, which has taken on a sectarian character and was countered by the kidnapping of seven people. This could have gravely escalated the situation had it not been for the army’s intervention to liberate him. Later, it was found that the reasons behind the kidnapping were financial.
According to the same sources, security forces have reported that car thefts, shootings and infringement on citizens have remarkably increased. They also indicated that the recent investigations into the bombings, which took place in Lebanon, revealed that most of the car bombs were sold by people in the northern Bekaa Valley to parties inside Syria, where they were rigged.
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