By Jaime Ortega.
Two strong explosions have caused casualties in Dahye this morning , the famous stronghold of Hezbollah in Beirut . This is the third attack, one of the most impregnable of the Lebanese capital in the past five months and it seems once again that this terrorist cell is linked to the opposition to society created between the Lebanese Shiite militia , the regime Assad and Iran in neighboring Syria .
The number of victims registered so far is at least 23 ( including a child ), according to medical sources consulted by Naharnet and other local media . The number of wounded would be around 150 .
As reported by the state news agency NNA , the first blast occurred when a suicide bomber was slain in the vicinity of the Iranian Embassy , located in the suburbs of Beirut . Immediately thereafter, a second charge has detonated a vehicle full of explosives approaching a building in the Bir Hassan neighborhood. This second attack was much more devastating.
Associated Press has reported meanwhile that the black gate entrance to the Iranian embassy has blown up and that there’s significant damage caused to the facade. Local TV Al- Mayadeen , which is located very near the place where the events occurred , reported that a cleric and several of his bodyguards were injured by the blast.
Among the bodies recovered , as confirmed to TV station Al- Manar Lebanese ambassador to that country, was Sheikh Ibrahim Ansari from Iran, according to Rokn Ghazanfar Abadi : ” Al- Ansari has died of wounds received during the attack. [ … ] . All other colleagues at the embassy are in perfect health [ … ] . Agents of the Zionist entity of Israel are behind this incident but it will not affect us . This will make us stronger and will study our options. ”
Iran accuses Israel
Marzieh Afkham , spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry , has spoken in the same vein as his colleague Ambassador in Beirut : ” The terrorist act occurred before. The Iranian death is an inhuman crime and hatred filled by the Zionists and its mercenaries. ”
The prime minister , Najib Mikati , has condemned the “terrorist and cowardly ” attack , meaning that the only purpose of this is to raise sectarian tensions in the country and use it ” like a mailbox ” . The prime minister also called for ” calm ” and it will be the Lebanese security forces which bring to justice the perpetrators of these attacks.
Hezbollah parliamentarian , Ali Ammar – usual when making controversial statements on such attacks , said that ” the aim of the explosion was the axiom of the Resistance who supports the Palestinian cause .”
Damascus has condemned what happened through a statement on state television and SANA news agency : ” The Syrian Executive strongly condemns the terrorist attack near the Iranian Embassy in Beirut.”
The past months of July and August witnessed similar attacks in the city of Dahye – Hezbollah – stronghold , the first leaving 50 injured and the second about twenty killed and another hundred affected.
Excess of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility the bombing
Abdullah Azzam Brigades , a branch of the international terrorist organization in Lebanon , has claimed the attack in Dahye according to what was published in the Twitter account of a radical cleric affiliated with the group.
” Abdullah Azzam Brigades and cells Hussein Bin Ali , please God , they are behind the explosions at the Iranian embassy in Beirut ” has been read in the message posted on the social network of Sheikh Sirajeddine Zuraiqat . These commands threatened with more action until Iran Syria withdraw its forces and liberated prisoners of them.
