Rockets explode near presidential place, defense ministry

Several rockets were fired Thursday evening. Two of them landed near the Lebanese Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut without causing casualties.

The rockets were reportedly fired from a barren area in Souk al-Gharb, a summer resort town in MT Lebanon east of the capital Beirut, MTV reported on Thursday.

Here are the details of the other rockets that were fired.

One rocket landed near the house of the Saudi ambassador but it failed to explode MTV reported
One rocket landed near the house of the army’s intelligence director, Al Jadeed ( New) TV reported
One rockets landed about 50 meters away from the defense ministry , MTV reported
One rocket landed near the army’s Command and Staff College in al-Rayhaniyeh, NNA reported

No one was hurt in the incidents but it marked the second time in two months that rockets have been fired in the area, amid heightened sectarian tension in Lebanon over the civil war in neighboring Syria.

Lebanon President Suleiman told the nation on Thursday , during the celebrations of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the army:

” The real martyr is only the one who dies for his country to defend its land and unity. The Lebanese people want sacrifices for Lebanon and not for another country.”

Suleiman, who has been calling for dialogue to discuss Lebanon’s defense strategy , based on the Baabda declaration criticized Hezbollah’s role in defending the Syrian regime.

“It has become urgent to study a defense strategy especially that the resistance’s arms have gone beyond Lebanon’s borders”. Hezbollah is usually referred to as the resistance.

“The army’s mission would be impossible if a party or more from Lebanese people get involved in wars outside Lebanon ”, Suleiman stressed in another reference to the thousands of Hezbollah fighters who have been fighting alongside the forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar against the rebels seeking to end his family’s four-decade rule.

Akhbar al-Yawm quoted Hezbollah sources as saying”: No comment will be made over President Suleiman’s speech yet. A response will be issued at the appropriate time.”