Hizbullah continues military offensive in Chouf

Areas in Aley are being bombed by Hizbullah artillery, and clashes broke out between Hizbullah, pro-Syrian Arslan and Jumblatt's PSP in Choueifat, forcing many residents to flee. My parents, who live in the area, have fled under gunfire and heavy bombardment.

Walid Jumblatt in a phone call to LBC, described the clashes as unfortunate clashes between Shias and Druze, and said he agreed to Arslan's mediation offer to stop hostilities. A breathless Jumblatt called on his fighters to remember that coexistence and civil peace are more important than anything else, and advised Arslan to rely on the Lebanese army.

LBC reported that Hizbullah is bombing an area situated between two Shia villages, Qmatieh and Kayfoun, to create a contiguous Shia area.

Update. Jumblatt's PSP in Choueifat, have, under orders from Jumblatt, handed over their weapons to Arslan's militia.

Update 2. You know Hizbullah has gone too far when even Arslan had to assure them that Mount Lebanon has always been on the side of the resistance, in a hint that they need not bomb it to oblivion. Arslan appealed to the "opposition" to cease hostilities. He said that Jumblatt had authorized him to coordinate the handover of all PSP weapons to the Lebanese army, and that he will call Suleiman to begin drawing a plan to ending hostilities.

Update 3. Pro-syrian dog Wiam Wahab: (Now Lebanon)

Wahab: there is coordination between opposition on what is taking place in al-jabal.
Wahab: We want to keep the al-jabal safe but the army has to act fast and the PSP have to hand all their weapons … I hope that Jounblat told Erslan that the PSP will give all their weapons and their offices or the fighting will continue
Wahab: many PSP offices fell under the control of the opposition… but many others giving up their offices peacefully.
Wahab: Lebanese Unification Movement, Democratic Party and Syrian Social Nationalist party are the ones fighting in al-jabal against PSP… no Hezbollah gunmen are involved in the fighting.

Update 4. Ceasefire at 6pm Beirut time.

Update 5. Citizen from deir koubel, a druze village, to LBC:

We have been calling the army to come to our village since yesterday, but they have ignored our call. Hizbullah is still bombarding us. Our village is burning, we don't have weapons or armed men here. We will not accept any other force in our village. Only the army. What are they (the army) waiting for?

Comments

[Abilama]

Do not laugh!
www.sana.sy/eng/21/2008/05/11/173943.htm

DAMASCUS, SANA(Syrian news agency) The General Trade Union has strongly
condemned the aggression which claimed the lives of a number of Syrian
workers in Lebanon, calling on the Lebanese authorities to investigate in
this new crime perpetrated against our workers and punish the committers as
it is considered a violation of the Arab and International Labor Agreements.
The statement stressed that "it is not the first time that the Syrian
workers in Lebanon are being exposed for killing and body torture in spite
of that they participate in rebuilding Lebanon and raising its economy."

[M. Simon]

Last time Israel took on HA I remember the Lebanese mostly screamed - make them stop.

You got your wish.

Now what?