‘Children gunned down in fighting’

Press, 12 July 1980, Page 8

‘Children gunned down in fighting’

NZPA-Reuter Beirut The wife of a Rightist Lebanese leader whose forces were defeated in this week’s fierce inter-Christian fighting has said in an interview that women and children were gunned down by the victorious Falangist militia. At least 140 people are' now estimated to have died' in the violence between the, opposing Rightist factions. I Patti Chamoun, wife of the National Liberal Party’s military chief, Dany Chamoun, told a Leftist Beirut newspaper of the alleged killings of women and children. In an interview published by the newspaper, “As-Sa-fir,” Mrs Chamoun also alleged that one man was cut in half at a beach north of Beirut before being set on fire in a truck. Mrs Chamoun charged that the man’s brother was tortured before being blown up with dynamite strapped to his chest. A Falangist party spokesman said that “some excesses ' have been committed.” But civilians were bound to get killed in a military assault, he said. Those responsible for the excesses were now under [ arrest, he added. They would [ be dealt with by Falangist authorities. '

According to “As-Safir”, Mrs Chamoun described fighting at the former National Liberal Party stronghold of Safra, 25km north of the capital, as a massacre. She said 81 people were killed there alone. ■As fresh details of the fighting became known, [Rightist sources revised their : estimate of the casualties involved, which included at I least 140 dead and about 500 [wounded. The clashes, in which tanks, rockets, artillery, and heavy machine-guns were used, established the supremacy of the Falangist Party militia, headed by Bashir Gemayel, and virtually wiped out the National Liberal Party as a military force. Charles Ghostin, head of the National Liberal Party education section, said the Falangists destroyed 90 per cent of the party’s centres. He alleged that the Falangists had established a totalitarian party system within the Maronite Christian community. The Lebanese Prime Minister (Mr Selim Hoss) described the situation in the country after the clashes as very serious and said there [was a disturbing trend toI wards total party control lover all. aspects of national I life.