BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army has detained a number of soldiers after a video emerged purporting to show troops beating a civilian during clashes in the Sidon suburb of Abra earlier this week, as Islamist groups called for demonstrations across the country Friday to protest the incident.

 

The video, which was circulated widely on social media, shows more than a dozen soldiers surrounding a man sitting cross-legged on the ground. The man claims he worked as a janitor at the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque of Sheikh Ahmad Assir.

 

In the footage, an officer leads the interrogation of the man, asking about his affiliations with Assir.

 

The officer on several occasions orders that the detainee not be harmed, but toward the end of the video, just under three minutes long, soldiers begin to kick the man as he curls into a fetal position, as the officer looks on.

 

Soldiers can also be seen recording the incident with their smartphones.

 

Though the men appeared to be wearing Army uniforms and brandished weapons, the authenticity of the video could not be verified independently.

 

An investigation into the incident was launched and the alleged soldiers who appeared in the video have been detained by military police, a judicial source told The Daily Star.

 

Assir’s militants in Abra, east of the southern city of Sidon, fought a two-day battle over the weekend against the Army, leaving 18 soldiers and at least 28 gunmen dead. Assir’s whereabouts are still unknown.

 

Earlier, the Army denied claims that Hezbollah fighters had fought alongside army troops during the clashes.

 

“The Army fought alone in Sidon,” it said in a statement. “The Army was surprised by a cheap political and media campaign which used doctored videos, audio recordings and photographs depicting the Army’s entry into Abra [alleging] that there were [Hezbollah] fighters fighting on its side.”

 

“As for the presence of armed civilians, the Army Command would like to issue a reminder that Army Intelligence personnel dress in civilian clothing,” it said.

 

For his part, Future Movement MP Ammar Houri commended the Army’s detention of the soldiers featured in the video, saying, “If these crimes are true, then I consider it a positive step ... proving that the Lebanese Army is an institution that abides by the law and maintains its reputation by taking into account human rights.”

 

Houri also questioned the credibility of the reports claiming Hezbollah’s participation in the Sidon fighting.

 

“The Army statement didn’t clarify whether the armed civilians wearing yellow ribbons around their arms were Army Intelligence. And if they weren’t, then who are they?” he asked.

 

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati called for launching an investigation into the alleged abuse incident which he said “harms the image of the military institution and its respectability.” Mikati was speaking during a meeting with Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi at the Grand Serail.

 

The videos have enraged Islamist groups in Tripoli, as tensions were stirred by the video and other materials circulating in social media purporting to show Hezbollah and the Amal Movement fighting in Abra, leading to clashes between the Army and Assir supporters in the neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh.

 

The clashes were triggered after a group of preachers hung a large portrait of Assir.

 

The poster was removed after mediation efforts led by local officials.

 

Security sources told The Daily Star that the situation in the northern city was tense but remained tenuously calm despite reports of several mortar bombs exploding in the neighborhoods of Abi Samra and Bab al-Raml.

 

Islamist groups have responded to the video by calling for a national day of rage after Friday’s noon prayers.

 

Hizb ut-Tahrir said it was in contact with several religious and Islamist parties to mobilize rallies in several locations across the country, such as Tripoli, Akkar, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.

 

Although the Committee of Muslim Scholars and the Sunna Movement said they would not participate in organizing the events, they would not prevent their supporters from taking part.Meeting at the residence of Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara, the National Islamic Gathering slammed the video, saying it violated the security and dignity of Abra residents.

 

The gathering demanded that a parliamentary committee be formed to investigate the incidents.

 

Separately, Sidon MP Bahia Hariri has asked the judiciary to investigate claims that a Sidon man was tortured to death by the Army after the clashes.

 

The family of Nader Bayoumi, who was in his 30s, said they found evidence of “severe torture” on his body after it was delivered to them by the military.

 

The family informed MP Hariri, who in turn informed Judge Samir Hammoud of the incident and asked him to investigate the circumstances of Bayoumi’s death.

 

Bayoumi, a father to a young daughter, was buried Thursday.