“Made in the USA » A banner unfurled by Hezbollah, in front of a tangle of concrete slabs and gutted walls, welcomes passersby in the small square of Maaysra. Faces of women, teenagers, children and men are shown here and there, their smiles frozen forever.
It was here, on September 25, that an Israeli strike killed sixteen residents, in a square of three terraced houses, perhaps by means of a US-supplied missile, as the banner suggests. A small Shiite enclave located in Kesrouan, a predominantly Christian area, 40 kilometers north of Beirut, Maaysra is the first town in the region to suffer a deadly air attack since the start of the conflict. On Thursday, October 3, a new bombing targeted a house in the town, located at 600 meters above sea level, without causing any casualties. “During the 2006 war, the Israelis attacked two bridges in Jounieh [20 kilomètres plus bas], But, in my memory, this is the first time that a nearby town has been bombed.”specifies Georges Aoun, mayor of Zaaitra, a neighboring Christian city.
“I thought it was impossible for the war to reach me here…” Sohad Quetiche believed he had put enough distance between himself and the clashes shaking his hometown. But this man from Houla, a village in southern Lebanon, was injured during the September 25 attack. His mother, Saada Ayoub, 77, was murdered. His wife and four children were also injured.
“I saw it like a flash of lightning”
Around 10 a.m., a first attack targeted a house believed to belong to the family of a Hezbollah executive, Sheikh Mohamed Amro, presented as the group’s civilian leader in the region. Although he was not present at the scene, ten members of his family died. Six displaced people from the south of the country who were staying in adjacent houses also lost their lives, including Mr. Quetiche’s mother. Among these victims, a man had arrived the day before in the town, where one hundred and fifty displaced families live. He has not yet been identified.
The remains of the blast-shattered body of 4-year-old Amir Wissam Hussein have yet to be found. The six victims from the south were temporarily buried in the town cemetery. Toys and stuffed animals are placed on the graves of the little ones. While volunteers maintain the place, Sari, 6 years old, the youngest daughter of the Quetiche family, sits for long minutes on the grave of her cousin, who is mute.
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