On June 19, the eve of Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutrous Sfeir's visit to the city of Zahla in Beq'a, a large explosion took place in a garage in the city, killing one person and wounding two more.
The Lebanese Al-Safir daily reported today that the initial investigation showed that this was an attempted terror attack aimed at Sfeir himself, and that the dead man, the wounded, and several others who have been arrested in the case were suspected of belonging to an extremist Salafi organization.
In contrast, the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar reported that security forces had announced to elements in the Maronite Church that the explosion was not connected to Sfeir's visit and that it was not possible to determine that this was an attempt to harm him.
It should be noted that the Arab press reports in recent days on tension between Hizbullah and Sfeir, against the backdrop of Sfeir's harsh criticism of Hizbullah's weapons and of its allegiance to Iran.
Sources: Al-Hayat, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London; Al-Safir, Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, June 21; alarabiya.net, June 17; moqawama.org, June 18, 2010
