On 26 October, Lebanese media reported that the Army Intelligence Directorate has determined that the far-right Lebanese Forces (LF) party was behind the deadly shooting in the Tayouneh neighborhood of Beirut earlier this month.

According to the report by Al-Akhbar, security officials agree that the Tayouneh massacre “was not the result of isolated ‘friction’… but the result of security and military preparations that began the night before.”

The report goes on to say that the person in charge of coordinating the violence was LF leader Samir Geagea’s head of security, Simon Musallam.

According to the confessions of those detained in connection to the massacre, Musallam surveyed the area in Ain al-Rummaneh and Tayouneh the night before the massacre, even bringing armed militia members from Maarab.

Musallam then reportedly stayed in the area until the violence had ended the following day.

Al-Akhbar’s sources also stated that this information has been corroborated by “technical evidence.”

The shocking revelations come just one day before Samir Geagea is expected to attend a hearing at the Defense Ministry to answer questions regarding his involvement in the massacre.

Also on 26 October, Geagea’s lawyers submitted a memorandum to the Military Court Judge Fadi Akiki, arguing that the notice informing Geagea of his summoning by the Intelligence Directorate was unlawful.

The far-right LF leader has so far denied any involvement in the massacre, and has instead tried to place the blame on the Hezbollah and Amal Movement parties, which were the target of the violence on 14 October.

So far 68 people have been charged in connection to the massacre, with 47 of them being charged with “murder, attempted murder, inciting sectarian strife and forming an armed gang,” while 20 others are charged with “murder, attempted murder and possession of weapons without a license.”

Among those accused is also a member of the Lebanese army who was caught on CCTV shooting at the unarmed demonstrators.