Six people died and 19 others were wounded following a series of suicide attacks in a mainly Christian area of northern Lebanon, close to the border with Syria.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), the first incident happened at around 4.20 a.m. (local time) Monday when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a house in the village of Qaa, in the country’s Beqaa valley.
Three other attackers – with at least one wearing a explosive vest – then detonated themselves as rescue teams and locals gathered at the scene, NNA said.
In a statement, the Lebanese Army said, “following investigations conducted by military experts at the sites of the bombings, it has been clarified that that the weight of each of the four suicide belts used by the terrorists contained 2 kg of explosives material and metal balls (ball bearings).”
But it is not yet clear who was behind the attacks or the motive. A Lebanese government spokesperson refused to provide any further details when contacted by CNN.
‘Dark forces’
Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam issued a statement in which he condemned “the terrorist attacks” that targeted innocent people.
“The facts revealed by this crime, in terms of number of participants or method of implementation, show the nature of evil harbored for Lebanon and the size of the risks facing the country at this difficult stage both internally and regionally,” Salam said, according to NNA.
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“This terrorist operation proves that our stability is targeted by forces of darkness, and that the only way to protect it is by standing united behind our military institution and security forces in their battle against terrorism, and by promoting national unity and strengthening our internal political scene.”