The kidnap and murder of Lebanese security forces by jihadists from Syria has sparked new tensions in Lebanon, including a backlash against Syrian refugees and a string of sectarian kidnappings. Syrian refugee Ibrahim Abbas Ali and his family lost everything when gunmen attacked their makeshift camp housing around 200 refugees set fire to several of the tents. The blaze destroyed the few belongings they had managed to bring with them from Syria, including their official documents and U.N. refugee cards.
We lost all the aid we received from the U.N. and all we were left with are the clothes we are wearing.
Syrian refugee Ibrahim Abbas Ali
It is not clear who is behind the attacks, but most have taken place in predominantly Shiite areas. Lebanese officials say such acts are the work of individuals and not political groups or state institutions. Lebanon has long been split over the war in neighboring Syria, with Sunnis supporting the Sunni-led rebellion against President Bashar Assad and Shiites supporting his government, fearing the rise of extremists among the rebels’ ranks. The Shiite Hezbollah movement has infuriated many Sunnis by sending fighters to battle alongside Assad’s troops. Tensions spiked last month when militants from Syria seized the Lebanese border town of Arsal for several days, capturing around 20 soldiers and police and killing several others.