LEBANON: RIGHT WING FALANGIST GUNMEN CLING TO THEIR STRONGHOLD IN HOLIDAY INN HOTEL DESPITE CEASEFIRE.

Record ID: 376978

  • Title: LEBANON: RIGHT WING FALANGIST GUNMEN CLING TO THEIR STRONGHOLD IN HOLIDAY INN HOTEL DESPITE CEASEFIRE.
  • Date: 5th November 1975
  • Summary: 1. GV Traffic jam in Beirut streets with armoured car through traffic 0.10 2. SV PAN FROM Sandbags TO Street 0.16 3. GV PAN ACROSS Hotels 0.22 4. SV Holiday Inn hotel 0.27 5. SV Street scene with sandbags and soldier 0.32 6. SV Palm Beach hotel PAN ACROSS TO Troops in street 0.38 7. SV People behind sandbags 0.46 8. L
  • Embargoed: 20th November 1975 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIRUT, LEBANON
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Reuters ID: LVAAI4GC3O0AOABDKUAPZWJBE9Q3
  • Story Text: Right wing Falangist gunmen clung to their stronghold in Beirut's towering Holiday Inn hotel on Tuesday (4 November) in the belief that the new ceasefire - the twelfth - might not last the week.

    But the unaccustomed roar of traffic replaced the sound of gunfire over most of the battered city as the ceasefire agreed over the weekend held.

    Prime Minister Rashid Karami said the left wing Moslem and right wing Christian guerrilla armies were co-operating to bring life back to normal after the fighting that has taken more than 1,000 lives in two months.

    Falangist guerrillas have left the sea front St. George and Phoenicia hotels - but one of their leaders said they would not leave the Holiday Inn hotel unless they were replaced by the army. The 24-storey Holiday Inn has a commanding view over the area and also strategic importance in that it stops the left-wingers from forming an unbroken wedge from the east of the city across to the coast.

    Gunmen of both the left and right have told reporters they would not be surprised if fresh fighting broke out again in a few days when both sides will have rested and replenished supplies.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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