At least one dead, 5 wounded after shooting inside Lebanon mosque, security official says

BEIRUT (AP): A shooting inside a mosque during prayers left at least one person dead and five wounded Friday, a Lebanese security official said. The reason behind the shooting in the eastern town of Bar Elias was not immediately clear.

The state-run National News Agency said more gunfire broke out later between Lebanese troops and the shooting suspect, who was wounded in that exchange.

A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said the man killed and the five wounded were all Syrian citizens. The town is home to many Syrian refugees who fled their country’s 12-year conflict.

Lebanon is home to more than 1 million Syrian refugees and anti-Syrian sentiments have been on the rise since Lebanon’s economic meltdown began in October 2019. The decline is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the country’s ruling class. Three-quarters of the country’s 6 million people live in poverty.