SIDON: Six policemen were injured as they tried to stop illegal construction on public property near the southern port city of Tyre Monday, a security source told The Daily Star online.
He said the policemen, all members of the Internal Security Forces, were injured before midday when residents of Teir Felsay pelted their patrol with stones.
The patrol withdrew a few meters away, calling for back up from the Lebanese Army.
Several policemen were injured Friday when they tried to stop illegal housing on public property in the southern Beirut suburb of Ouzai.
Among the injured were three police officers – Lt. Col. Joseph Naddaf, Capt. Suleiman Zeineddine and Lt. Nabil Oweidat.
Other angry residents blocked the inner Ouzai road with concrete barriers in protest over the ISF’s campaign against violators of construction and public property laws.
Later Friday, the ISF, backed by the army, demolished illegal constructions around Rafik Hariri International Airport as part of an effort to safeguard operations there and protect “Lebanon’s reputation,” a security source said.
Despite the clashes stemming from the crackdown on illegal constructions, caretaker Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud has vowed to carry on with the clamp down.
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, which enjoy strong support in south Lebanon, have announced that they will not support those violating the law and have urged security authorities to act.
Last week, two civilians were shot dead and two others were wounded when police opened fire to disperse residents in Tyre who were attempting to stop police from tearing down illegal buildings in the southern city.