Two suicide bombings claimed by ISIS killed 43 people and at least 239 others Thursday evening in the Lebanese capital's southern neighborhood of Bourj el-Barajneh, a busy commercial and residential and stronghold of Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah.
The Lebanese daily L'Orient-Le Jourcalled the attack "unacceptable" on its front page Friday, which was decreed a national day of mourning. "The fear of terrorist attacks in Lebanon reappeared a few days ago with analysis linked to developments in Syria," the French-speaking newspaper also says. "No one, however, expected this fear to become true so soon with a double bombing in the heart of Beirut's southern suburb (where) Hezbollah is the most vulnerable."
The two blasts, which reportedly happened seven minutes apart, are the deadliest terrorist attack in the country since the end of the civil war in 1990. They are also the first to target a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon in more than a year, at a time where the group is increasing its involvement in the neighboring Syrian conflict.
L'Orient-Le Jour quotes Hezbollah members as saying that a third suicide bomber failed to detonate his explosive belt as he was killed by the first explosion. Local residents cite the heroism of a man named Adel Termos, who stopped one of the terrorists from entering a Shia mosque, full of people praying, before he detonated in the street.
