Security forces assault journalists at scene of Beirut blast

Lebanese security forces on Sunday evening assaulted journalists at the scene of a bomb blast in central Beirut, including The New Arab's photographer Hussein Baydoun.

Journalists and photographers had gathered to report on the blast that occurred outside Blom Bank in the capital's Verdun business district when security forces verbally and physically assaulted a number of them.

Among those assaulted were Salman Andari, the Beirut correspondent for Sky News Arabia and Anwar Amro, an AFP correspondent.

A video of the incident obtained by The New Arab's Arabic service clearly shows security officers beating the journalists and pushing them away from the scene of the blast.

The head of the Lebanese photographers' syndicate, Aziz Taher, told The New Arab over the phone that this is not the first time photographers have been assaulted by security forces while doing their job.

"Respecting the work of journalists and photographers is of paramount importance," said Taher.