VIDEO: "Fighting Occurs Not Far From Armenian Areas" - Arman Abovyan

Former MP Arman Abovyan writes on his Facebook page: "The bloody shades of the big game… The situation in Lebanon has sharply escalated. Unknown individuals have attacked the central part of Beirut, opening fire on protesters. Widespread battles are taking place in the streets with the use of snipers and grenade launchers.

Representatives of 'Hezbollah' and 'Hamas' have declared they have no connection to the events and urge residents not to go outside. The Lebanese army has officially warned that they will eliminate anyone who appears with a weapon in the streets of Beirut. The Lebanese government has reported on casualties, including one dead and several dozen injured.

I urgently contacted our compatriots living in Beirut. They report from the scene that the situation in the city is very tense, but there is no information about Armenian casualties. The fighting is occurring just a little distance away from the Armenian neighborhoods. No one understands what is happening. We will continue to monitor the developments.

The Armenian authorities MUST be prepared to utilize all measures to ensure the safety of Armenians, and if necessary, initiate an urgent evacuation process from Beirut. We will discuss the reasons later.

P.S. Street fighting has now ceased. The army is "clearing" Beirut of militants."