05:42 PM | 08 May 2026
An armed ambush in Baalbek... and the army raids a drug factory
Fady Mahouly
Two wanted men intercepted an army patrol using a jeep and opened fire on the officers on 5/8/2026, while the patrol was heading to carry out a raid on a drug manufacturing factory in the Sharawneh neighborhood - Baalbek.
As a result, the officers responded to the sources of fire, and during the exchange of fire, a fire broke out in the jeep as a result of the presence of ammunition and flammable materials inside it. The soldiers were able to evacuate one of the wanted men (a Syrian national) and take him to the hospital for treatment, but they were unable to evacuate the other wanted man due to the force of the fire. A member of the patrol and five citizens were slightly injured as a result of the incident.
The patrol continued its mission and raided the drug laboratory, where it seized a number of machines and a large quantity of narcotic substances.
The seized items were handed over to the relevant authorities, and follow-up is underway to arrest those involved in operating the factory, according to a statement issued by the Army Command - Directorate of Guidance.
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