Lebanese ex-army photographer shot dead outside his home

Lebanese ex-army photographer shot dead outside his home
Joseph Bejjani was gunned down by two unidentified men who approached him in his car, which was parked outside his home in the town of Kahaleh in Aley District.
2 min read
21 December, 2020
Security footage showed the moment two gunmen approached Bejjani’s vehicle [Twitter]
In a horrific incident that shook Lebanon, a former army photographer was assassinated on Monday outside his home in Aley District, according to local media reports.

Joseph Bejjani, who also worked for Telecom, was gunned down by two unidentified men who approached him in his car, which was parked outside his home in the town of Kahaleh. 

Bejjani was sat in his car waiting for his daughters to come out of the house to take them to school, according to reports. 

Security footage, which circulated on social media, showed the moment two gunmen approached Bejjani’s vehicle to shoot him, reportedly with a silencer pistol, before fleeing downhill. 

Bejjani was reportedly a contractual photographer for the Lebanese army. Unconfirmed reports said that he had been filming at the port of Beirut during the last period of his work.

Many raised questions over potential links to previous assassinations linked to the August 4 port of Beirut blast, including the killing of Colonel Mounir Abou Rjeily and Col. Joseph Skaf, both of whom worked at customs.

In a statement, the mayor of Kahaleh said a "large team infiltrated the region" and killed Bejjani.

"We want to know the motive behind this crime," he said, adding that Bejjani was loved by many and had no personal conflicts with anyone.

The mayor called for an immediate investigation into the incident and its motives, adding that locals will take measures into their own hands if authorities do not answer their calls.

According to local media, locals had already gathered to protest and have blocked the Kahaleh highway.

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