Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Thursday, Apr 25, 2024

Armed man takes hostages at Beirut bank demanding return of frozen funds

Armed man takes hostages at Beirut bank demanding return of frozen funds

An armed man held employees and customers hostage at a bank on Beirut's bustling Hamra street Thursday demanding his frozen funds be released, according to a security source and Lebanon's state.

After an hours-long standoff, the man surrendered to security forces after receiving a portion of his bank account, according to the security source. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity due to professional norms.

The man was promised $30,000 out of the $210,000 in his frozen bank account as part of the terms of his surrender, according to NNA.

The armed man said he needed the funds to pay for his father's operation, threatening to torch the bank and kill everyone in it, according to NNA. The man, was seen in social media video wielding an assault rifle.

"Give me back my money!" the man was heard shouting out in a social media video recorded from the bank. "I don't have a lot of time."

The bearded hostage-taker is seen nervously pacing around the bank as he curses at his hostages.

Scores of people gathered outside the bank demanding that the bank return the funds to the hostage-taker in an incident that has spotlighted the desperation of Lebanese depositors in the midst of the country's financial tailspin. Many of the hostage-taker's supporters chanted antigovernment slogans.

Protesters hurled water bottles at security forces as the hostage taker stepped out of the bank, waving at his supporters.

Army soldiers gather near a "Federal Bank" branch in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 11, 2022. - A customer armed with a rifle and threatening to set himself ablaze held bank workers hostage on August 11 in Lebanon's capital demanding to withdraw his savings of over $200,000, security sources said.


Since the start of Lebanon's financial crisis in October 2019, the country's banking sector has imposed discretionary capital controls, severely restricting people's access to their life savings.

Earlier on Thursday, the head of the Lebanese Depositors' Association, Hassan Mughniyeh entered the bank in an attempt to negotiate the release of the hostages but the man fired two stray shots, according to NNA.

"The political authority and banking institutions in Lebanon are responsible for this situation," Mughniyeh said according to NNA. "If matters are not addressed swiftly, the situation will worsen."

Lebanon's economic crisis, which erupted in 2019, has propelled more than three quarters of the population into poverty and caused the local currency to lose over 90% of its October 2019 value.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×