A Lebanese police raid on the home of an ex-minister close to the powerful Hezbollah movement left a bodyguard dead Sunday, as tensions with prime minister-designate Saad Hariri heightened.
Politician Wiam Wahhab, an ally of the Syrian regime, had refused to attend an official questioning following a complaint over angry insults he made against Hariri and his parents.
Footage of the diatribe sparked protests from the premier’s supporters at a time when Lebanon’s squabbling leaders are deadlocked over the formation of a new government.
Shots were fired during a raid by security officials on Wahhab’s home in the Druze village of Jahliyeh on Saturday, with close associate Mohammed Abu Diab ending up wounded.
Abu Diab died of his injuries Sunday and was buried in the mountain village.
Wahhab, a former minister of the environment, blamed the authorities for his bodyguard’s death but Lebanon’s Internal Security Force said the fatal shots were fired by the politician’s supporters.
Hariri was nominated for his third term as prime minister in May but the long-awaited formation of a government has been delayed by six months of wrangling.
The premier-designate last month accused Shiite movement Hezbollah of impeding the formation of the cabinet.