(18 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut – 15 April 2024
1. Exterior of villa where money exchanger Mohammad Srour was killed
2. Door locked with red wax
3. Pan of gloves on ground
4. Pan of villa, municipality police officers walking
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut – 17 April 2024
5. Various of Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi working at desk
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bassam Mawlawi, Lebanese Interior Minister:
“The Lebanese security agencies have suspicion or accusations that Mossad is behind this operation. Why do they have this accusation when we are always told that crimes in Lebanon are mostly or all ordinary criminal crimes and do not have a security background? Why have we shifted this accusation to a security issue related to Mossad? According to the Lebanese security agencies, this person, his actions, and the way the crime was carried out led to this accusation. Mohammad Srour’s activities in money exchange are known. And it is known that he transfers money from a specific party to another party."
7. Close of flags
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bassam Mawlawi, Lebanese Interior Minister:
“An attempt to rent an apartment in the Hazmieh area failed, and those who were supposed to rent the apartment did not proceed with the operation. Later, they rented a villa in Beit Meri using a forged identity. The method of communication was through a phone that was only used once, and the lure was through a woman said to be unrecognisable by anyone. It was said that he went once and then a second time alone, and then the method of carrying out the crime, which involved torture, with a large number of bullets fired before the shot that took his life."
9. People standing outside money exchange shop
10. Various of money being counted
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Beirut – 15 April 2024
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Roy Abou Chedid, Beit Meri Mayor:
"Three or four days before the body was found, we started noticing security movements by security agencies in the area. There was a presence around the surrounding villas because the area where the operation took place is a villa area within ‘Monte Verde’. Security agencies were asking about the houses and taking surveillance cameras. After three days, it was revealed that the deceased was found in a villa nearby. Villa Kmeid Security agencies entered the villa and began to investigate the cause of death and examine the crime."
12. Tilt-down from villa to street
13. Close of police seals on door handle
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Roy Abou Chedid, Beit Meri Mayor:
“The perpetrator of the operation is not an ordinary person seeking revenge or someone aiming for money as money was left on the ground, as far as we know. The one who carried out the operation is someone who planned, organised, prepared themselves, and created the most suitable environment. Because today, the most suitable place to attract someone like the deceased is an area like Beit Mari and Monte Verde which are secure areas. This means that if he (the victim) wanted to exchange an amount of money, he knew that he would be in a securely protected zone."
15. Various of villa, municipality police officers walking
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Christian Francis, neighbour:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Labweh, Baalbek – 11 April 2024
17. Mourners holding posters with pictures of Srour during funeral
18. Various of coffin being carried during funeral procession
STORYLINE:
The killing of Mohammad Srour, 57, who was sanctioned by the U.S., was like something out of an international spy thriller.
He provided no specific evidence for his allegations.
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