adminin which 18 soldiers died.
The fighting in Abra outside Sidon was the worst in Lebanon since the outbreak of conflict in neighbouring Syria 27 months ago deepened sectarian tensions.
It highlighted widespread Sunni resentment against the army, accused of siding with the powerful Shiite Hezbollah and being selective in its crackdown on armed groups.
Thousands of worshippers yesterday heard Sidon’s top Sunni cleric accuse the army of making arrests “without due process”.
“People are being taken to prison because they are religious or because they wear a beard or a full-face veil,” Sheikh Sousan said during prayers in the southern city.
“They are being beaten badly, and maybe even dying,” he charged.
A security source said dozens of people have been arrested since the army seized Assir’s Abra headquarters on Monday. Assir himself has not been seen since the fighting, and Amal, one of his wives, told the LBC television channel she does not know where he is. His sister said he would “prefer to become a martyr than be captured”.
Sidon residents claim the bodies of those killed have not been given to their families.
“It is Sidon’s right to know how many people were killed, and to know their names. It is Sidon’s right to know how many wounded there are, and their whereabouts,” said Sousan.
He called for an “independent, objective, transparent… investigation” into abuse claims.
Human Rights Watch called for an independent judicial investigation into alleged abuses.
On Thursday, the army handed over to the military police soldiers suspected of humiliating and beating a man suspected of ties to Assir.
“It’s not enough to have the military investigating itself,” HRW Beirut office director Nadim Houry told AFP. The army was not immediately reachable, but on Thursday a military source told AFP: “We do not accept this kind of behaviour.” — AFP.
Online Reporter