The Saida War in Pictures

A fierce battle broke out between Salafists, led by Ahmed Al Assir, and the Lebanese Army on June 23, 2013. The battle left over 20 dead, and hundreds injured, all the while further increased tensions in Lebanon. Below is a photo essay of the events.

Ahmad Al Assir, shown here in a picture from 2012, has vowed to fight to the last drop of blood, along with over 200 devoted followers. In a video he posted on YouTube, Assir asked all “Sunnis and non-Sunnis to leave the army immediately.”

A mother and her 4 children flee the chaos as snipers take aim at any moving object from rooftops. A group of 100 people were trapped in a supermarket for 48 hours before the army was able to safely get them out.

Fadl Shaker, a once beloved singer, is seen in this screen shot from a YouTube video in which he boasts having personally shot and killed at least 2 soldiers during the fighting in Saida.

Soldiers hide behind a tank as Salafist fighters hidden in Abra launch a full attack on them. At least 15 soldiers have been killed in the fighting over the past 2 days.

Hospitals in and around Saida have been flooded with injured civilians. A nationwide call for blood donations is currently underway.

Hezbollah fighters, believed to be fighting alongside the army, have been criticized for helping to bring the Syrian conflict to Lebanon. Hezbollah was critical in the fight for Qusayr, helping Assad’s army to oust the opposition, following a fierce battle that left hundreds dead.

Samer, a 9 year old boy, is seen here holding a picture of his father, killed on June 23 in the Saida battle. His mother and sister cry in the background.

Note: I swear I have absolutely nothing against Ivy or her blog. I’ve been annoyed with how MTV went through with the Murex D’Or when people were dying left and right, and this morning, Ivy’s unfortunate blogpost was retweeted into my Twitter feed.

Also, this is very very obviously a complete rip off of this brilliant piece by The Onion.