Sunni leaders condemn arrest, army raids Shia areas

Lebanese state security arrested a businessman in Beirut's Sunni neighborhoods for alleged price gouging and monopolistic practices. The arrest prompted immediate condemnation from top Sunni political and religious leaders, including the Prime Minister, MPs, and the Grand Mufti, who vowed to pursue the arresting officers. In a separate development, the Lebanese Army conducted a major raid in the northern Baalbek and Beqaa regions, employing airstrikes for the first time to kill wanted individuals and demolishing homes and gathering halls in the Shia-majority area.