On November 12, one day before Paris attacks, two explosions took place in Burc Al Barajine which is located on the southern suburbs of Beirut. This region is densely populated by Shiites and the center of Hezbollah, which is the major party of Shiites, is also there. 44 people were killed and over 200 people were injured due to the attack.
During the last two years, since Hezbollah got involved in the Syrian Civil War, there have been 4 explosions in the southern suburb of Beirut. With this bombing attack claimed by ISIS, it is once again revealed that the Syrian War has spread to Beirut. Because of Lebanon’s cosmopolite structure, regional forces have been clashing there. Just like in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Sunnites and Shiites compete for power in Lebanon. The attacks on November 12 are the part of this competition.
While the world was focused on Paris, many news agencies reminded Beirut attacks in order to show that the struggle against ISIS and similar groups cannot be limited to certain regions and it is impossible to remain isolated from a major event like Syrian Civil War. In one day, the attacks reached Paris from Beirut and this fact revealed that a bomb that is exploded in Middle East could easily affect the central places in the world.
Though this is not the first ISIS attack in Beirut, it is different in terms of its organized character and method. There wasn’t any suicide attacks in crowded places before; this time, the suicide attack targeted people coming from mosque and waiting in the line in front of a bakery. Lebanese media pointed out the similarity between this attack and Ankara bombing. Lebanese Minister of Interior Nuhad Al Maşnuk stated: “This attack was organized by a jihadist network that we knew about. We arrested the suspects.”
Coinciding with Russia’s interventions and Hezbollah’s proceeding in Syria, this attack shows that the war goes on in every level.
