Conflict Incident Report

Also known as Black Thursday, this marked the beginning of widespread sectarian- based abductions, mutilation, and executions. Following the assassination of a Palestinian man in downtown Beirut, between 30 and 50 Christian civilians were summarily executed in the area of Bashura in West Beirut. The bodies were abandoned in a Muslim cemetery, close to the demarcation line, all with their genitals sliced off. This immediately led gunmen from both sides to block roads and streets in the areas under their respective control. It is reported that many of those who were abducted—Muslims and Christians—were executed, and those who were released were in many cases mutilated.