Conflict Incident Report

BEIRUT: Residents in east Lebanon blocked roads for the second in a row, demanding amnesty for their fugitive relatives, state media reported.

A number of locals closed off the intersection linking the Baalbeck International Road with the town of Iaat with piles of dirt and a bulldozer, as part of their petition to grant their relatives a general pardon, the National News Agency said.

On Friday, Feb. 10, the families demonstrated in Baalbeck and neighboring towns to request amnesty.

Baalbeck, located in the northern part of the Bekaa Valley, is known to be a safe haven for escapees.

Kidnappings for ransom, car theft, arbitrary gunfire, murder, among other crimes are rife, both in the city and in surrounding towns of the Baalbeck district.

Key local figures have recently led awareness campaigns against these illicit activities and demanded the security files of the minor offenders be settled.