Hezbollah: We appreciate efforts of Syrian authorities in the sinking of the Lebanese boat

Hezbollah expressed its appreciation for the distinguished efforts made by the Syrian authorities and the competent agencies in the rescue, search and recovery of the bodies and assistance to the wounded in the sinking of the Lebanese boat off the port of Tartus.

In a statement on Saturday, the party expressed its deep sadness and great pain over the great tragedy of the drowning of a large number of people at sea.

In its statement, the party called on the Lebanese state to fulfill its duties towards the citizens who died or were harmed in this great tragedy. It also called on the concerned authorities to pursue and deter trafficking dealers, intensify judicial penalties against them, and take all necessary measures to put an end to dangerous smuggling operations and not to repeat them.

In the same context, former Lebanese MP Emile Lahoud valued Syria’s support for Lebanon in the tragedy of the Lebanese boat.

Lahoud said in a press statement, “Despite Syria’s difficult circumstances, it contributed to the rescue and recovery process, while other countries watched or were content with deploying battleships to prevent boats from passing through.”

The Minister of Health, Dr. Hassan Al-Ghabash, explained, during a telephone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart, Dr. Firas Al-Abyad, on Saturday that the number of victims reached 90, and the number of those receiving treatment in Al-Basel Hospital was 14, while the Lebanese Army announced in a statement that the Intelligence Directorate had arrested a citizen suspected of being involved in running a network operating smuggling illegal immigrants across the sea from the Lebanese coast.

Inas Abdulkareem