Conflict Incident Report

In 1978 the strategic alliance between the Lebanese Front and Syria came to an end. Chamoun and Frangieh were calling openly for Syrian troops to withdraw from Lebanon, and some minor incidents had occurred between Christian militias and ADF troops (namely in North Lebanon). On Fabruary 7, 1978, a clash erupted in front of the Lebanese military barrack of the military school in Fayadieh in the northeastern suburb of Beirut. An ADF (Syrian) unit had set up a checkpoint in front of the barrack, despite several requests by the Lebanese Army for its removal. When the checkpoint was not removed, the Lebanese Army attacked it. This marked the open confrontation between the Lebanese army (and the Christian militias) and the ADF. As a result, the ADF shelled the school and then shelled Christian residential neighborhoods of Ain al-Remmaneh, Karm al-Zeitoun, and Badaro in East Beirut; at least 100 civilians were killed and 200 wounded.