Lebanese PM condemns attack on army

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati condemned on Sunday the attack against the Armed Forces in the southern port city of Sidon that left two army officers and one soldier dead. The three were killed earlier in the day as some members supporting Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir attacked an army checkpoint near the Abra roadblock, the stronghold of Al-Assir, in Sidon, following days of fighting in the city with supporters of Shiite Hezbollah. In a press statement, Miqati said "the Lebanese army is the ' safety valve' of the country and all its people, especially under these difficult circumstances, and any attack against it is condemned." He called on "everyone to gather around the Lebanese army and support its mission of preserving security and stability." "We also call on everyone to handle the situation wisely and not to make emotional statements that do not serve as a solution to this delicate circumstance," he said.