Fingers pointed at Hezbollah for bomb blast outside Blom Bank HQ in Beirut

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A general view of the damaged headquarters building of Blom Bank where a bomb exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, June 12, 2016. A powerful bomb exploded in Beirut on Sunday, destroying several cars and severely damaging one of Lebanon's biggest banks, but causing no casualties, officials said. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A general view of the damaged headquarters building of Blom Bank where a bomb exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, June 12, 2016. A powerful bomb exploded in Beirut on Sunday, destroying several cars and severely damaging one of Lebanon’s biggest banks, but causing no casualties, officials said. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
A bomb exploded outside the headquarters of Lebanese Blom Bank in central Beirut on Sunday, causing damage but no fatalities, the country’s interior minister said.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility.

The Lebanese banking sector has been at the center of an escalating crisis since the United States passed a law targeting the finances of Hezbollah. The powerful Shi’ite Muslim group has launched verbal attacks on the central bank over the implementation of the act in Lebanon.

Blom Bank is one of the banks that has closed accounts belonging to people suspected of links to Hezbollah.

There was not immediate comment from Hezbollah on the bomb blast.

The Lebanese Red Cross said two people suffered minor injuries in the blast, which took place outside Blom Bank headquarters in the Verdun area of Beirut, the National News Agency reported.

Smoke rose from the area. Local television showed footage of a damaged building, with one hole in a concrete wall, and said shattered glass had fallen to the ground from several storeys up.

A security source said the bomb had contained 2 kg (4 lb) of explosives. Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk said the device had been left in a bag by the back wall of the building.

“Politically it is clear that target was Blom Bank only,” he said, adding that the attack had nothing to do with the militant group Islamic State, which has mounted suicide bombings in Beirut. Machnouk said initial reports indicated there had been no fatalities.

The last bomb attack to hit the Lebanese capital killed more than 40 people in the southern suburbs, an area where Hezbollah is dominant. That bombing was claimed by the Sunni Muslim Islamic State.

TARGETING HEZBOLLAH’S FINANCES

Heavily-armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is classified as a terrorist group by the United States, wields enormous political influence in Lebanon and its powerful military wing is playing a major role in backing President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict.

The U.S. act passed in December, the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act (HIFPA) threatens to punish any organization providing significant finance to Hezbollah.

It has ignited an unprecedented dispute between Hezbollah and a central bank widely seen as a pillar of the otherwise weak and dysfunctional Lebanese state.

The central bank has said the U.S. law must be applied to avoid the international isolation of Lebanon’s banking sector.

Hezbollah has strongly criticized the bank for agreeing to measures it deems as part of a war against it.

The group’s parliamentary bloc issued a statement last week reiterating its criticism of the central bank’s position, saying the U.S. law infringed Lebanon’s national sovereignty.

Central bank governor Riad Salameh last month said banks must comply with the law, but sought to ease concerns, assuring Lebanese citizens the regulations protect them from having bank accounts arbitrarily blocked or closed.

Since 2001, the United States has put more than 100 individuals and entities affiliated with Hezbollah onto sanctions lists under existing anti-terrorism funding legislation, but the new law is aimed at Hezbollah specifically.

Hezbollah, whose fighters played a major role in forcing Israel to withdraw from southern Lebanon in 2000, enjoys strong support in the Lebanese Shi’ite community. Its members include government ministers, lawmakers and local councillors.

REUTERS

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27 responses to “Fingers pointed at Hezbollah for bomb blast outside Blom Bank HQ in Beirut”

  1. Rascal Avatar

    If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck….. Hezbullah is 100% a terrorist operation. They will not think twice to attack any Lebanese that stand in Iran’s way. Poor Christians get to watch their country enter another civil war and reaffirm itself as a victim of Islamic injustice at the hands of Jihad shiites and Jihad sunni.

    1. Golyat Avatar

      Hey Daesh supporter! Have you ever criticised your Nusra terrorists a bit, but you only criticise Muslim civilians, you moron.

    2. Christina Metron Avatar
      Christina Metron

      Mossad’s terrorist touch all over it. this works to benifit Israel and only Israel. Everybody else loses except Israel, it benifit from making the Hizb look like a vengeful LEBANESE political party. they’re much smarter than that, but Israeli Hasbara idiots are not interested in that.

      1. Rudy1947 Avatar
        Rudy1947

        DaNile is in Egypt. The dear Hizzbillies are sucking Lebanon dry using Israel as an excuse to do so.

        1. Christina Metron Avatar
          Christina Metron

          and Da idiot seniel is still not making sense.

          1. Rudy1947 Avatar
            Rudy1947

            You don’t know where Egypt is?

    3. Hind Abyad Avatar
      Hind Abyad

      Don’ cry for Lebanese faker.

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    I almost didn’t have time to get in the speculation … although there’s no joy in being right.
    https://yalibnan.com/2016/06/12/hezbollah-targets-lebanon-central-bank-chief-in-new-attacks/

  3. Christina Metron Avatar
    Christina Metron

    Doesn’t that bombin work to the best interest of Israel, do you think the hizb is that dumb, this attack has Israeli mossad written all over it. it serves their purpose to have everyone and their mother accused the Hizb of it. The rothschilds at work boys and girls.

    1. master09 Avatar
      master09

      Fart fart

      1. Christina Metron Avatar
        Christina Metron

        the Lebanese Zionist has spoken, but only Diarrhea came out of his mouth.

        1. master09 Avatar
          master09

          I can give u some pills to stop farting because every comment u put on has that foul stench with no meaning to it as it fades in thin air.
          You are so brainwashed that I bet when you was a kid not that you grown up, you go to class and they made you say every morning out loud Kill the Jews, hate the Jews.
          What a joke you probably blame the Jews for your crappppy life as well.

          1. Christina Metron Avatar
            Christina Metron

            An Israeli zionist in disguise is still an Israeli zionist with a verbal Diarrhea problem.

          2. Rudy1947 Avatar
            Rudy1947

            Have you checked your closet lately? There’s a zionist spy camera on the coat hangar.

          3. Christina Metron Avatar
            Christina Metron

            you should have one in your bedroom, maybe you can learn a thing or two from Abdul and your wife…

          4. Rudy1947 Avatar
            Rudy1947

            He likes pizza, a little too much. Has a PaliArabs girth. Makes good coffee though.

          5. Christina Metron Avatar
            Christina Metron

            I bet your wife is satisfied. so after all you do need an Arab, you should get for your self, I hear you guys are getting close to the Saudis, they go that way, you do look like a goat, that will make them happy.

          6. Rudy1947 Avatar
            Rudy1947

            Back to the usual “tina.

          7. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            I think he has no wife

          8. He’s a lonely troll; no wife.

          9. master09 Avatar
            master09

            Wow good come back.

          10. Christina Metron Avatar
            Christina Metron

            GTH

          11. master09 Avatar
            master09

            I’m not going to same place your living.

          12. Christina Metron Avatar
            Christina Metron

            Zionists need not apply…

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