Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Stray bullets hit jets at Beirut airport as Lebanese welcome new year

Stray bullets hit jets at Beirut airport as Lebanese welcome new year

Stray bullets injured three people in Beirut and Tripoli, and damaged two passenger jets at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport as the Lebanese welcomed the new year in traditional style with celebratory gunfire.

Another man miraculously survived a random bullet that struck his phone while he was wheeling his baggage trolley out of the airport.

With a single bullet costing up to $1, traditional celebrations proved expensive in a country ravaged by economic hardship and currency depreciation, but even the high cost of ammunition failed to dampen the new year festivities, with heavy gunfire heard in many Lebanese regions at midnight, including poor airport neighborhoods inhabited by people forced out of their rural homes.

Stray gunshots caused minor damage to two Middle East Airlines Airbus A321Neo aircraft.

Security services earlier issued warnings against shooting near the airport, and erected checkpoints around its perimeter, as well as in areas where restaurants, cafes and bars are scattered.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi oversaw the deployment of extra security patrols.

He also visited checkpoints, and praised security forces for their efforts and sacrifices, especially amid the growing crises.

Mawlawi asked security personnel to remain alert to protect tourists and Lebanese returning for family gatherings.

“I urge you to maintain security and order, and enforce the law firmly without renouncing your humanity and the principle of human rights,” he said.

In the lead-up to the celebrations, Mawlawi described “random shootings” as a crime and promised to carry out strict punishments.

The Internal Security Forces directorate-general said that it is working to identify suspected shooters.

A total of 116 people have been identified so far and now face arrest, it said.

The directorate-general called on people “to report, via documented information, those who insisted on celebrating through this criminal and unethical behavior while knowing very well that their actions pose a threat to the safety of the society.”

The Lebanese Red Cross said that the New Year’s Eve toll included 17 injuries from traffic accidents and five people wounded in disputes.

In his Sunday sermon, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi reiterated his stance on key issues.

He accused Lebanese politicians of stalling the investigation into the Beirut port explosion for more than two years, describing the obstruction as “a crime in itself that should not go unpunished.”

Al-Rahi also criticized Lebanese officials for “destroying the political, security, economic, living and social peace, while the countries of the world offer all kinds of assistance for the rise of the country.”

These offers fall on deaf ears, he added.

“They don’t respond to conferences, the International Monetary Fund, the statements of friendly countries, the recommendations of the UN, or the calls of Pope Francis,” Al-Rahi said.

“What are they waiting for to alleviate the pain of the people and rescue Lebanon? Everyone should understand that electing a president is the key to overcoming our crisis and finding a solution.

“What’s needed is the election of an honest, courageous and fearless president who can unite all the national components, put things back into perspective, restore the state control over all parties, work to repatriate Syrian refugees and find a solution for Palestine refugees, and take initiatives at the Arab and international levels to restore Lebanon’s historical status.”

Institutional breakdown shows that Lebanon is a failing state that does not qualify for existence or survival, he added.

The last night of 2022 ended with the sinking of a boat carrying illegal Lebanese and Syrian migrants heading to Europe.

The Lebanese Army said that naval forces, assisted by UNIFIL, rescued 232 people in waters off Salaata, in northern Lebanon, and took them to the port of Tripoli.

The bodies of a Syrian woman and a five-year-old Syrian girl were recovered during the operation, the army said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Syria Holds First Elections Since Fall of Assad
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
×