TIMELINE: Recent attacks in Lebanon

(Reuters) – Lebanese army investigators searched for clues on Thursday in the assassination of a top general who had been tipped to become the next army chief.

Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, killed by a 35 kg (77 lb) car bomb on Wednesday, was the first military officer to be killed, with the other attacks targeting anti-Syrian figures.

Here is a chronology of attacks on political figures in Lebanon since former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a car bombing, along with 22 other people, on February 14, 2005.

June 2, 2005 – Samir Kassir, journalist opposed to Syria’s role in Lebanon, is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.

June 21 – Former Communist Party leader and critic of Syria George Hawi is killed in Beirut by a bomb in his car.

July 12 – Car bomb wounds caretaker Defence Minister Elias al-Murr and kills one person in Christian area north of Beirut.

Sept 25 – May Chidiac, a Christian television journalist critical of Syria, is seriously wounded by bomb in her car.

Dec 12 – Gebran Tueni, staunchly anti-Syrian member of parliament and Lebanese newspaper magnate, is killed by a car bomb in Beirut. An unknown group, “Strugglers for the Unity and Freedom of the Levant”, claims responsibility.

Nov 21, 2006 – Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel is killed by gunmen. U.N. Security Council approves plans for tribunal to try suspects in assassination of Hariri and subsequent attacks.

June 13, 2007 – Anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido and nine other people killed by a car bomb near a Beirut beach club.

Sept 19 – Car bomb in Beirut kills seven people, including anti-Syrian Christian lawmaker Antoine Ghanem.

Dec 12 – Car bomb kills Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, the army’s head of operations, and a number of bodyguards in a Christian town east of Beirut. He had been tipped to become the next army chief.

Check Also

Why did Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas announce his successor now?

On Wednesday, Abbas, 89-years-old, announced that the Palestinian National Council chairman, Rawhi Fattouh, would be …