Hezbollah to sue media outlets claiming it is responsible for Beirut port explosion

Lebanon’s Hezbollah announced on Friday that it is suing those who accuse it of being responsible for the massive explosion in the Port of Beirut four months ago, news agencies reported.

Speaking to journalists before the Justice Palace in Beirut, Hezbollah’s MP Ibrahim Mousawi announced: “There are news websites that step up to accuse Hezbollah of being responsible for the Beirut Port explosion… All of these claims are false as they lack evidence… They are cheap and shameful.”

Mousawi also claimed that there is an “organised chorus” with the aim of defaming Hezbollah.

The massive blast which occurred on 4 August was caused by nearly 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that was improperly stored at a port warehouse for six years. The blast killed more than 200 people and wounded over 6,000, causing extensive damage to several neighbourhoods in Beirut.

Read: Lebanon President Aoun approves compensation for victims of Beirut port blast

AP reported that some of Hezbollah’s political opponents have since blamed the group for storing the explosive chemicals at the port.

Hezbollah, AP added, is the only group that kept its weapons after Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990, and is believed to have ammunition stored in parts of the country.