Security tightened around Beirut airport following clashes

Security tightened around Beirut airport following clashes

BEIRUT: Footage of Lebanese gunmen firing in the air as a plane landed nearby has sparked warnings of a growing threat to aircraft and passenger safety at Beirut airport.

The footage was taken on Monday during armed clashes in a southern suburb of the capital, adjacent to one of the airport’s open runways.

Rivals fired machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades after an argument between two families developed into a violent confrontation during a night of terror in the city.

An informed source told Arab News: “The aircraft crew were terrified during the landing, fearing a bullet could hit the plane and cause a catastrophe.”

The incident has raised further questions about aviation safety at the airport, the only remaining outlet for the Lebanese, as well as Syrians who use it to travel abroad, in addition to international and relief organizations, including the UN and UNIFIL peacekeepers.

A Middle East Airlines aircraft traveling from Jordan was hit by a stray bullet while landing in Beirut in November 2022. Lebanese MP Paula Yacoubian was among the passengers on the flight. No one was hurt.

Airport facilities are frequently struck by stray bullets fired during funerals or celebrations in nearby neighborhoods.

Information International, a Beirut-based research consultancy firm, published a