Lebanese Army Kills Notorious Drug Lords in Baalbek Raid, Sends Warning to Criminal Networks By The Media Line Staff The Lebanese Army announced Wednesday that three of the country’s most dangerous fugitives were killed during an armed confrontation with soldiers in the city of Baalbek. The men, all members of the powerful Zeaiter clan, were […]
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The Media Line: Lebanese Army Kills Notorious Drug Lords in Baalbek Raid, Sends Warning to Criminal Networks
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Lebanese Army Kills Notorious Drug Lords in Baalbek Raid, Sends Warning to Criminal Networks
By The Media Line Staff
The Lebanese Army announced Wednesday that three of the country’s most dangerous fugitives were killed during an armed confrontation with soldiers in the city of Baalbek. The men, all members of the powerful Zeaiter clan, were long sought for their involvement in large-scale drug trafficking and deadly assaults on security forces.
The military operation, carried out in Baalbek’s Al Sharawneh neighborhood, was described by Lebanese media as a turning point in the fight against organized crime, with some commentators calling it a clear signal that the days of unchecked impunity are numbered. The raid came just hours after the cabinet ordered the army to submit a national plan for seizing illegal weapons by the end of August.
According to an army statement, troops were pursuing a vehicle carrying the suspects when a firefight broke out, killing all three. The men were identified as Ali Monzer Zeaiter, Abbas Ali Saadoun Zeaiter, and Fayyad Salem Zeaiter. Authorities said they were wanted for a string of serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery, and had evaded capture for years.
A military spokesperson noted that previous attempts to arrest the men had failed and sometimes resulted in soldiers being wounded. He added that the three had played central roles in trafficking narcotics throughout Lebanon and luring vulnerable youth into crime.
The army denied allegations that the raid had harmed civilians or involved confrontations with residents, insisting the operation was tightly focused and precise. Drones were used to track and strike the suspects’ vehicle.
Ali Monzer Zeaiter was considered a kingpin of the Bekaa Valley’s drug trade and had accumulated hundreds of arrest warrants. A military source said the operation followed weeks of surveillance and was intended to not only neutralize him but also deal a serious blow to entrenched drug networks in Al Sharawneh, a neighborhood dominated by armed fugitives and powerful tribal clans.
He had previously escaped after surviving a missile strike in July during an attempted capture. In 2022, he was wounded in an attack on a Lebanese army patrol that left one soldier dead.
The crackdown comes amid renewed tensions between the army and Hezbollah, which rejected a cabinet resolution limiting the possession of weapons to state forces. The group accused the government of capitulating to foreign pressure and weakening Lebanon’s ability to defend itself from Israel.