Saida Battle (LAF vs Al-Assir)

On June 23, 2013, 10 Lebanese Army soldiers were killed and 35 wounded, in a clash with armed men loyal to al-Assir in Sidon at an Army post near the Abra complex that houses the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque.[20] Violence started when Lebanese soldiers detained an Assir supporter, prompting a deadly attack by Assir's militiamen on an army checkpoint as a response. Some witnesses claimed that the army beat the detained man.[21] Roads were later blocked in other parts of the country, and the army came under fire in the Ain el-Hilweh camp.[22]
During 23–24 June 2013 Heavy street fighting erupted between the Lebanese Army and gunmen loyal to Salafist cleric Ahmed Al-Assir in Sidon. Sixteen soldiers and three militants were killed.[23] A bodyguard of a cleric, who tried to reach the fighting to negotiate a ceasefire, also died.[24] More than 100 Lebanese soldiers were wounded,[25] as well as 13 pro-Assir militants.[26] The Lebanese army has asked the country's politicians to intervene.[27] On Monday June 24, 2013, Lebanese Army commandos seized a complex controlled by gunmen loyal to Sheikh Ahmad Assir in the southern city of Sidon, shortly after the firebrand preacher fled the premises to an unknown destination.