Conflict Incident Report

Baalbeck residents called for a restriction on arms in the area after a nine-year-old girl was fatally shot, a source told The Daily Star. Lamis Hasan Nakkoush, 9, was shot in front of her house a few minutes before the iftar, the source said. Aa.W of the Wehbe family and the victim’s brother reportedly exchanged words before the former opened fire, hitting Lamis in the back of her head.

The suspect instantly fled the scene, while Lamis was taken to a nearby hospital. All efforts were made to save her life, but she passed away in the hospital. The attack was widely condemned in Baalbeck, with residents calling on the Ministers of Interior and Defense, Nouhad Machnouk and Yaacoub Sarraf, to put an end to the proliferation of weapons by reducing the number of arms licenses granted by the two ministries.

On May 8, lawmakers from Baalbeck and Hermel reiterated calls on officials to boost security in east Lebanon. Earlier, on May 3, Baalbeck residents went on a general strike to protest the deteriorating security situation in the east Lebanon city.